John Noboru Kimata

John was the son of Toyokichi Kimata and Tsune Shimada Kimata. He had two older sisters, Hatsuye and Matsuye, who predeceased him. Growing up, he was a member of the Pasadena Boys Choir and attended the McKinley elementary and high schools.

John overcame many hardships in his life, such as the loss of his mother when he was very young, and the loss of the Pasadena, CA family farm as part of the forced relocation to a Japanese internment camp in Gila River, Arizona.

After the war ended, he enlisted in the United States Army in July 1946, training with the 2nd Infantry Division as a paratrooper at Fort Lewis, Washington. He was a proud citizen of the United States, still fiercely loyal, and wanted to prove it by serving his country.

John never had an opportunity to attend college besides a few courses he took at Pasadena City Community College. Instead, he went from state to state searching for work, learning how to bake at a cooking school, delivering newspapers, and taking whatever manual labor was available. Eventually, he learned to be a chicken sexer, trained at NC State to drive an 18-wheeler for Wonder Bread, headed up a team at Packaging Corporation of America, and spent the last 20 years of his career in government service at the US Post Office in Harrisonburg.

John loved sports, particularly the Washington Senators and the Washington Commanders, and he loved to go fishing. John was a devoted family man who was happiest when attending his children's and grandchildren’s events, from baseball and football games to hunter and jumper horse shows.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Ila S. Kimata. John and Ila met in Washington, DC and lived in Columbia, Missouri; Birmingham, Alabama; and eventually settled in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He is also survived by his sons, Steve and wife Cecilia, grandchildren Ila L. Kimata and Celine C. Kimata, and Mark and wife Yillia.

The family would like to thank his friends and medical providers, including his physician, Dr. Kerry Leichty, and particularly his Intensive Care Unit (ICU) providers, Dr. Earl D. King, Dr. Rodney S. Arthur, ICU’s Nurse Scott, Nurse Eden, and all the Sentara nursing staff that cared for him. Thank you so much for your great compassion and tireless care in his last days.

As he requested, funeral services will be limited to his immediate family.

In lieu of flowers, and for those wanting to contribute to his memory, he would be very grateful for the support of three causes. First, because he never had food when he was growing up and did not know when his next meal might occur, we suggest the support of your local food bank. No child should ever go hungry. Second, we recommend contributions to the Harrisonburg Rescue Squad as they provided exemplary service to John and his wife, particularly in recent years. Third, John found companionship and solace in animals his entire life and he would be grateful for the support of your local SPCA.