Sumie Nagano

Sumie Nagano was born on August 22nd, 1938 in Kagoshima, Japan. She was the eldest daughter of seven born to Itsuma and Hatsue Nogata. She is survived by her older brothers Ikuho, Toshiro, Mutsuro and younger sisters Toshie and Keiko whom all live in Japan while her younger brother, Sumihiro lives in San Diego, California. Also survived by her only daughter Patti and granddaughter Kiko.

In Japan she worked at a department store called Higashiten as well as a high school before marrying Shigeshi Nagano. They met through her younger brother Sumihiro who had gone to Salinas, California to work on produce farms. This is where he met Shigeshi who was also working on the farms and they became friends and returned to Japan in 1964 where Shigeshi was introduced to Sumie and they married a year later in 1965.

After working and farming the lands in Tashiro, Japan they decided to immigrate to Canada and landed in Vauxhall, Alberta working on potato farms with other Japanese wanting to move to Canada. In 1968 their only child Patti was born and they continued building their life in Alberta until 1972.

In 1973 they came to Surrey, BC to work on a mushroom farm where they learned about the mushroom business and in 1975 they rented a mushroom farm in Aldergrove, BC until saving enough money so they could start their own business.

In 1980 they purchased 5 acres of land in Langley, BC to build eight mushroom barns and a new house to start G & S Mushroom Farm. They worked tirelessly building their mushroom farm business for 12-years until the farm was sold in 1992.

They moved to Langley Meadows upon the sale of the farm where Sumie enjoyed cooking, baking, gardening, crocheting and watching Japanese dramas. She was very social and enjoyed attending her Japanese Community Church as well as spending time with her many friends and going out to social events as well as dining out.

She loved to travel and would go to Japan almost every year to visit her family as well as go on many adventures with her daughter and granddaughter, whom both lived with her and Shigeshi since Kiko was two years old.

When Shigeshi became ill, she could not travel to Japan for quite a few years and after his passing in September 2023, she wanted to start travelling again. Sumie did visit Japan in the summer of 2024 with Patti and Kiko one last time before she became ill.

In October 2024 she ended up in Maple Ridge hospital as well as Langley Memorial hospital with a throat infection where she was unable to swallow and ended up on a feeding tube until she was able to go home in mid-November 2024. She was home for a few months recovering until April 11, 2025 where she was again admitted into Langley Memorial Hospital for the same throat infection and was on a feeding tube until her death on May 23, 2025.

She was tiny yet so strong and full of energy. She was so kind, generous and a beautiful soul loved by many and will be deeply missed.

A celebration of life for Sumie will be held Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 2:00 PM at First Memorial Funeral Services, Fraser Heights Chapel, 14835 Fraser Highway, Surrey, BC V3R3N6.