Peacefully, after a long illness, Donna Nakako Yamamoto (nee Watanabe) passed away on December 20, 2025.
She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Masahiro (Mac); daughter Debbie Rempel (John) and granddaughter Jennifer; son Wes (Lori Shimizu) and grandchildren Hayley and Troy; and son
Brent.
Donna was born on August 22, 1936, in Duncan, BC, to Naochi and Kiyoko Watanabe, the second of nine children. In 1941, her family relocated to Manitoba and moved to Winnipeg in 1950. She
married Mac in 1960, and three children soon followed. She was employed in the healthcare field and later chose to step away from her career to devote her time to raising her family. Donna was a fantastic cook, baker, gardener, crafter, and puzzle solver.
She is also survived by sisters Lily (Kanao) Yamamoto, Rita Hill, Alice Kinoshita, and Joan Watanabe; brother Ken Watanabe; and sisters-in-law Mitsuko Takada, Setsuko Yoshida, and Ita Mccabe. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
A private family ceremony will be held at a later date.
The family would like to thank the staff at The Courtyards and The Arbours at Linden Pointe for their care and compassion over the past few months.
In lieu of flowers and koden, donations may be made to Manitoba Underdogs: manitobaunderdogs.org/help/donate.
