Chiyeko Takasaki

TAKASAKI, Chiyeko (née Kikuta) After a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, Chiyeko passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home (Westwood Residences) on the evening of Wednesday, April 3rd. A caring and devoted mother and wife, she is survived by her two sons: Bryan (Jennifer) and Bruce (Audrey); six grandchildren: Rachel, Sarah, Cameron, Hannah, Matthew and John; and two sisters: Yoshiko and Masuye; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was born on July 18, 1936 in Vancouver B.C., the second daughter of Toshio and Mitsuye Kikuta. After the second world war, she moved with her family to Japan. In 1956, Chiyeko and her sister Shizuye returned to Canada, settling in Toronto. She worked at Bell Canada until her marriage to Frank in 1963. While raising her family, she developed her artistic talent using a variety of media including oil, acrylic, watercolor and ceramics. Upon Frank's retirement, they moved to North Saanich B.C. in 1987, where she became an active member of the local artistic community. Together with Frank, she travelled extensively and explored many exotic destinations. After Frank's death in 2001, she continued to pursue her passion for travel and painting from her new home in Sidney, BC. Shortly after returning from a long-planned visit to Japan with her sons and grandchildren in 2013, she moved to Ottawa to be closer to her son Bruce and his family. Throughout her battle with Alzheimer's disease, Chiyeko maintained her generous and helpful spirit and always expressed her gratitude to everybody who assisted her. Her sweet disposition and gentle smile instantly endeared her to the residents and staff at the Westwood Residence where she lived her final three years. We would like to express our deep gratitude to the 2nd floor nurses and PSWs at the Westwood for their care and dedication. We are especially grateful to Debbie Watt Mercier (Senior Solutions) who brought love, joy, enthusiasm and companionship into Chiyeko's life over the past two years. Visitation at McEvoy-Shields Funeral Home, 1411 Hunt Club Road, on Saturday, April 6 from 3-4 pm followed by a funeral service in the chapel at 4 pm.