On December 13, 2018, Howard Kenso Zenimura passed away at the age of 91; he went peacefully, surrounded by his family. Howard was born in Fresno, CA on May 16, 1927 to Kenichi and Kiyoko Zenimura and the middle son of three. His love of baseball started at a young age, playing on teams with his brother and father up and down California. In 1943, Executive Order 9066 removed the Zenimura family from their home, first moved to the Fresno Assembly Center, then shipped to Gila River, AZ where they were kept for three years. Upon the family’s return, Howard enrolled at Fresno State University and played under legendary coach, Pete Beiden. His success, along with his brother’s, earned them both contracts to play professionally for the Hiroshima Carps in 1953. The following year, Howard married his wife of 64 years, Betty, and had four children. When his career in Japan came to an end, he returned to Fresno and taught history for Fresno Unified, retiring after 37 years. Although his playing days were over, his passion for the game never ended. In 1982, he started the Fresno USA Baseball Team, a team of 15 year old all-stars to play in an international tournament in Japan, China, South Korea, Mexico, and Hawaii. The team is still active, driven by the same principles of providing an experience and developing friendships across all boundaries.
He is survived by his four children, Kathy and Randy Yano, Cheryl Zenimura, Alan Zenimura and Debbie Tingley, Kirk and Teresa Zenimura, five grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.
Funeral services will be held at Fresno Dharma Center on Saturday, December 22, 2018 at 11:00 am.
