Katsuko Higo Tamada

Katsuko “Katie” TAMADA passed away peacefully on June 11, 2025, in Charlottesville, VA, at the age of 95. She was born in 1930 in Seattle, WA and was known as “Kats” Higo. After relocation to the Minidoka internment camp during WWII, she returned to Seattle and worked as live-in household help to pay for her education, graduating from Broadway High School and the University of Washington with a degree in sociology. She worked as a “computer” for Boeing, performing manual mathematical calculations and creating charts and graphs, before marrying her Boeing engineer husband, Henry “Hank” Tamada. She was a caring stay-at-home mom to four children and was proud that all four were National Merit semi-finalists.

In 1971, she returned to college to earn a teaching certificate and followed her passion for education as a second-grade schoolteacher. After retirement, she enjoyed world travel, fine wine and dining with her loving husband of 57 years. After Hank’s stroke in 1998, she became his devoted caretaker until his death in 2011.

Katie is survived by her four children: Tom, Caroline (Beeman), Mike, and Janet; four grandchildren: Rachel Snogles, Joshua Beeman, Jonathan Zwiebel, and Jennifer Zwiebel; and two great-grandchildren: Henry and Theo.

A graveside inurnment of her ashes will be held at Evergreen-Washelli Funeral Home, 11111 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA at 10:00 am on Saturday, August 9, 2025. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a children’s charity of your choice.