Rose Hisaye Yoshizumi

As beautiful as her name suggests, Rose was Born in Seattle to Hidetaro Ichihara and Tsuruye Taki and lived to her last days as a vibrant woman who was loved by all.

She grew up on Beacon hill and attended Garfield High School before marrying Yoshio Yoshizumi in 1946. Being Japanese-American, she and her family were sent to the Minidoka internment camp in Idaho during World War II and when released in October of 1945 she and her family made their way to Spokane where on December 24th she married Yoshio Yoshizumi.

After returning to Seattle, they settled on Beacon Hill and had three kids. She and Yosh divorced in 1978 and she continued to raise and support her family by working. She plied her trade as an administrator for insurance brokerage companies for over 30 years, always brightening the day for her co-workers and forming life-long friendships.

Rose was most known for her sparkling personality that showed through everything she did and touched all of those around her. Her bright smile and easy laugh made you feel at ease and appreciated. Her cooking was legendary and fed the many mouths that ended up in their home throughout the years. Rose loved listening to music and would never miss an opportunity to dance. She had a zest for life which included sky-diving and white water rafting, even in her golden years!

She was a gardener at heart and enjoyed watching things bloom in her own yard as well as being involved with the Kubota Garden. With a kind soul she gave back to her community in many ways including volunteering with Kokoro Kai at Nikkei Manor for many years and supporting the NVC (Nisei Veterans Committee) Memorial Wall as a legacy for her entire family.

When she retired, she moved to a condo, but her last years were spent with her friends at Nikkei Manor sharing crafts, outings and many laughs. Her smile was both room lightening and contagious, a lesson to us all about sharing the good times in life. A special thank you to the wonderful staff at Nikkei Manor as well as her great group of friends, Sharon, Donna, Marti, Nancy and Harvey who took such great care of her.

Rose is survived by her three children Lisa, David, Jane and four grandchildren.

There will be no services per her request. In lieu of flowers, please support your local garden, parks and arts foundation or Nikkei Manor