Tsuyoshi Yamamoto

1934-2018

Tsuyoshi "Tio" Yamamoto passed away in San Francisco on Sept. 29, 2018. He was 84 years old. He was born in Tacoma, WA, Aug. 28, 1934, to Henry and Yoshiye Yamamoto. Young friends gave him his lifelong nickname of Tio when they mispronounced Tsuyo as his parents called him. During WW2, when Japanese Americans were forcibly evacuated, his family was interned at Tule Lake, the U.S. concentration camp in Northern California. Upon release, they settled in San Francisco. Tio attended local schools, from elementary school to college. He enjoyed being a member of Boy Scout Troop 12 and the San Francisco Barons. After U.S. Army service at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL, and in Germany, he returned to SF to work, marry Joyce Imazeki, and raise two daughters. When he retired early from the Savin Corp, he was the National Field Engineering Mgr; he then took up weekend work at DHL until his permanent retirement.

Tio found joy in life; he loved fishing and camping with his pals, Hot Wheels, the SF Giants, road trips around the West, Dungeness crab and sourdough bread, tomato beef and hom yu. He kept happy memories from his youth.

He is survived by Joyce, his wife of almost 58 years, and daughters Kristen (Ray Bennett) and Karen (Douglas Lee). A memorial service will be held Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, 2 pm, at the Buddhist Church of San Francisco, 1881 Pine St.