Masa Nara Giron

Masa was born 92 years ago in Ikawamachi Akita ken, Japan to Unkichi Nara and Fukue Matsuoka Nara. She is predeceased by her husband Sam A. Giron, and her siblings Kyo Watanabe, Hiro Nara, and Unzo Nara. She is survived by one sister, Isako Dojo, and one brother, Teizo Nara. All of her siblings have always lived in Japan. “America Masa” was the only member of her entire family to ever live in the United States. She is also survived by her American family: two daughters, Veronica Giron-Stone and Janet Meier & her husband William Meier, Jr.; and three grandchildren and their spouses, Jessica Stone & her husband August Larson, Theresa Ferree & her husband Kyle Ferree, and Jonathan Meier & his wife Tara Meier.

Masa was a warbride married to an American G.I. for 66 years until he passed away in 2021. As a young rebel she ran away from prearranged marriages twice before meeting Sam. She will be remembered as an “Akita Bijin” (Akita beauty) and always referred to herself as “just a country girl” though she did win a beauty contest.

Masa was a tiny woman but loved and protected her family fiercely. She was extraordinarily brave and strong. She moved to a foreign country where she couldn’t read, write or speak the language yet managed to raise two high achieving girls alone during her husband’s year-long Army deployments to Vietnam and Korea. Her convictions were strong, too…she refused to teach her children about her Shinto religion as she had committed to raising them as Christians. Once she made up her mind to do something, that was it. She stopped smoking cold turkey and forced her husband to do the same when she found out that second-hand smoke could give her kids cancer!

Her world revolved around her family and there was nothing she and her husband wouldn’t do for them including moving from Arizona to California to be near family and were instrumental in raising one of their granddaughters. Determined that their girls would have college educations, they both worked two jobs putting their eldest daughter through college. They took pride in visiting the other daughter cross country as often as possible at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Masa was a woman of many talents…she could crochet almost anything, sew matching dresses for her and her daughters, cook the most amazing food, clean her home so well that visitors thought they could eat off the floor, color flawlessly, and was the most animated storyteller ever. Animals could feel her sense of compassion and were naturally drawn to her. She always knew just what to say when someone was having a bad day or navigating a difficult time in their lives. She taught her family to be self-sufficient and especially cautious to never trust too easily…”nobody will take care of you as good as you. Count on yourself then you won’t be disappointed.”

After his retirement, Sam & Masa were inseparable. They did everything together including spoiling their grandchildren, doing house and yard work, and taking long walks and hikes. As her husband once said, they “couldn’t live with each other sometimes but couldn’t live without each other either.” They spent the last years of his life sitting together on the couch holding hands and missed each other when one of them left the room even for just a few minutes.

Masa and Sam are now reunited once again and will be inseparable for all eternity.