(1/1/33 – 1/16/2020)
You are invited to a Celebration of Life
Friday, March 6, 2020, 2:30 pm
Westminster Memorial Park
Main Chapel
14801 Beach Blvd. (just north of Bolsa Ave.)
Westminster, California 92683
Haj Uyehara was born in Los Angeles, the second of four children. In his
younger days, he often played with his older brother, Mas, while his parents
worked at their grocery store.
During WWII he was incarcerated at Heart Mountain, Wyoming, where his best memory was being pitcher for the camp baseball team. After the war, he attended Belmont High where he was student body president, and participated in varsity football and the madrigal singers. He was also a singer in the Union Church choir. Haj received a very liberal education at Occidental College, receiving a Master of Arts in chemistry in 1956. He met his wife, Joyce – whom he called “Jay” -- on the steps of UCLA. They were married 60 years.
Haj first worked at Philco Ford/Aeronutronics as analytical chemist. It was there that he bought his 1957 T-bird. He then went on to work as a clinical chemist at Daniel Freeman Hospital, and later at Smith Tool, where he developed a patented cleaning procedure for the company, which was crucial to its survival. He moved on as quality assurance engineer at The Aerospace Corporation. Together, he and his wife enjoyed skiing, singing and dancing. For the last 20 years, they volunteered time and energy to the practice of Longevity Stick Art (ROM movements). He was a big fan of singing Shubert lieders (in the original German), sea shanties, and also sang songs in Japanese, Italian and English. His favorite song to sing, was “My Way”. Haj passed away after a short bout of pneumonia. He was very proud of his family, and is survived by his wife, Joyce, and their children Kimberly, Denise and Scott, and eight grandchildren.
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