Kazuko K. Roach

While working in a Base Exchange store in Japan, Kazuko met Richard “Dick” Elvis Roach, an American Serviceman in the United States Air Force. They fell deeply in love and were soon married. Together they lived a typical military life as Dick was transferred from Air Force Base to Air Force Base, including several times back to Japan, but as long they had each other they were always home.

Kazuko kept many Japanese customs in honor of her family and history while living in the United States, including cooking meals and making sure no dirty shoes came in from the outside – only slippers were permitted on her floors. She had an abiding love for Japanese cuisine, especially rice and sushi, and her favorite of all was ikura (salmon eggs) sushi. She loved to go out to eat at Japanese restaurants, but also enjoyed American foods such as coffee and steak. Food was one of her greatest passions, and she always made sure her family stayed well-fed and happy.

A woman of impeccable taste, she took every chance to dress nicely from her head town to her toes – whether for company or special evenings away from home. Kazuko enjoyed the outdoors and loved to go fishing. She enjoyed playing Bingo and watching the news on TV, most of all with her special children that she collected over the years. Her dogs meant everything to her, and each one was blessed to live a carefree life with room to roam and plenty of love, right up until her last special child, Janette.

Kazuko loved her husband, Dick, and took great care of him throughout their married life. She was both his wife and nurse during Dick’s last years while he was bedridden. She spent the last 10 years of her life living at the Park Place Manor in Belton, Texas, where she eventually passed away peacefully in her sleep.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held in her honor on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. inside the Chapel of Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77038. For those wishing to attend and pay their respects to her, please arrive at the Houston National Cemetery by 9:45 a.m. to partake in the procession to the Chapel.