Kazue Elizabeth Moroi

Kazue E. Moroi, aged 85, passed away peacefully on October 23, 2015, with family at her bedside in Parkside Village located in Westerville, OH. Kazue was born August 5, 1930 and grew up in Tokorozawa, Japan. She was the daughter of Gunji and Kiku Sekiguchi. She is the sister of older brother Naohisa Sekiguchi, younger sister Hiromi Sekiguchi, and youngest brother Tsukahiko Sekiguchi. Kazue attended Tokorozawa Jyogakuin (Tokorozawa Women’s High School) and excelled in science. She was very progressive and graduated from Meiji Gakuin University to study English Literature, which was rare for women during that time. Her father advised that she also attend finishing schools, so she also completed training in ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), koto music school, calligraphy, sumi-e (Japanese water color painting), Japanese cooking, chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony), and Japanese doll making. Kazue married David Shuichi Moroi by omiai (Japanese arranged marriage). As Dave was a graduate student in physics at Johns Hopkins University, he could not afford to return to Japan for his wedding. So Kazue and Dave had a proxy wedding ceremony on April 10, 1959. Kazue arrived to America with a “great surprise” of corn fields and farmland of Ames, Iowa, to replace the images of San Francisco or New York City skylines. She supported Dave during his post-doctoral research at Iowa State University and started sharing Japanese cultural programs to the women of Ames, Iowa. Kazue and Dave moved to Southbend, Indiana, for a short-time while he had taught at Notre Dame University, and then moved to settle to Kent, Ohio. While Dave taught Physics at Kent State University, Kazue became very active in the Kent community with Japanese cultural programs, doll clubs, cooking classes, and her children’s activities. She was a gifted artist with her dolls and created numerous one-of-a-kind Japanese porcelain dolls. She shared this knowledge with numerous students teaching doll classes and seminars as well as lecturing at national and international doll conventions. Kazue was most proud of making life size angels for President Bush (senior) while he was in office at the White House. Kazue was well-known for hosting amazing Japanese dinners at their home for friends, students, and physics faculty families. During these department dinners, Kazue always included dishes from countries represented by the various international faculty and graduate students. Following these dinners, it was quite a process to get all the shoes back to the guests as it was a tradition to remove shoes on entering their Japanese home. Kazue shared her passion and energy to create food, art, and environments for her children’s high school prom events. Kazue also broke barriers as the first Japanese woman to be a Pee Wee football commissioner. She enjoyed cheering both sons’ ice hockey skills on many weekend games, and early morning practices. Kazue especially enjoyed organizing and exploring the jewels of the National and state parks initially with a pop up tent camper and then a trailer. She always caught the biggest fish during the fishing trips, and she would make the most delicious fresh fish dinners with the Moroi “catch of the day”. Kazue is survived by husband David Shuichi Moroi and their three children, Sayoko Eileen Moroi-Fetters (Ann Arbor, MI) married to Michael Fetters, Shigeyoshi Albert Moroi (New Albany, OH) married to Cora Moroi, and Katsumi Karl Moroi (Columbus, OH). Kazue has six grandchildren, Kori M. Fetters, Tomoyuki D. Fetters, Kazuhisa B. Fetters, Takashi D. Fetters, Morgan K. Moroi, and Madison T. Moroi. A Memorial Service will be held 12:00pm, Saturday, November 7, 2015 at All Saints Episcopal Church, 5101 Johnstown Road, New Albany, OH 43054 where family will receive friends from 4:00pm to 7:00pm, Friday, November 6, 2015. Fr. Jason Prati officiating. Memorial contributions may be made in Kazue E. Moroi’s memory to: National Parkinson’s Foundation, 2800 Corporate Exchange Drive, Columbus, OH 43231.