Phillip Masatomi Itano was born in Los Angeles on July 6, 1950 to Henry and Grace Itano. He was the youngest of their four sons. Like all the Itano brothers, Phil enjoyed spending summers with relatives in Japan as a boy. Passionate about jazz music he excelled in playing piano and became a professional musician for over 30 years working as a solo pianist and with bands throughout the west coast including Las Vegas and Reno. In 1982, Phil travelled back to Japan for a performance tour where he met his wife Yvette who was also a working musician. They were married for 34 years and passed their love for music to their only son Joshua. Phil was a member of the Local 7 Orange County Musicians Union and after retiring from the entertainment industry he took joy in work in accounting for National General.
Phil passed away in Los Angeles on April 10, 2018 at the age of 67. He is survived by his wife Yvette, son Joshua, brothers Lloyd , Steve, and Gary, niece Destiny, nephews Luke, Loren and Edward.
A celebration of life for Phillip will be held Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 10:30 AM at Harbor Lawn - Mt. Olive Memorial Park, 1625 Gisler Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.harborlawn.com for the Itano family.