George K. Hanada

George Kojiro Hanada was born in Penryn, CA to Kosaku and Noriyo Kubota Hanada. He was very young when his family moved to Santa Clara Valley. When World War II began, the family was sent to Santa Anita Assembly Center and then interned at Heart Mountain in WY. He was drafted into the Army and sent to Germany as part of the US occupation forces. After the Army George returned to the Santa Clara Valley and attended agriculture school.

In 1950, George married Shizuka Maruyama and settled in Morgan Hill where he raised strawberries. George purchased the Flying A gas station in San Jose’s Japantown in 1953. Despite working seven days a week throughout the 1950s and from the 1960s closing only Sundays, George still made time to take Shiz and their five children on annual vacations and day trips.

After 40 years of running George’s Service Center, he retired. Retirement provided George with endless opportunities to pursue his passions for travel, hunting, fishing, skiing, and volunteering at the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin.

George was predeceased by his parents and siblings: brother Tom and Hank and sister Lily Yamanaka. George is survived by his beloved wife Shiz; sons Craig (Helen), Scott (Susan), and Glenn; and daughters Julie and Wendy (Ron) Inouye; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Private family services will be held at a later date. In lieu of Koden please donate to the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin (https://www.sjbetsuin.org) or the Yu-Ai Kai Senior Center (https://yuaikai.org).