Hitoko Johnson Otterbacher

Hitoko Johnson Otterbacher was born September 12, 1931 to Sanji Suzuka and Tome Nishida. She was their only daughter, and she had three brothers who she often spoke highly of and, proudly, of how highly they regarded her; one anecdote she loved to share was how, in her youth, they had bestowed upon her the nickname, “Kewpie doll,” because of how cute they thought she was. Hitoko grew up in Osaka, Japan before ultimately moving to the United States after meeting her first husband, Richard Johnson, United States Marine Corps. Once in the U.S., she and Richard adopted their son, Michael, and raised him in multiple locations before settling in San Clemente, California. Hitoko often shared about her time raising Michael and her adoration for her husband. She would share about her time spent hosting, her hospitality being one of her proudest traits that she carried throughout her life. She also shared about her many hobbies and extra-curriculars, including being in a women’s bowling league, playing the koto, and being a member of a local Japanese women’s club, where she’d participate in many social gatherings including singing karaoke. After later moving to Vista, her husband, Richard suddenly passed away in 1993 and she later married her second husband, Maurice; they spent over ten years together before his passing. Hitoko continued to reside in Fallbrook and Oceanside for the next twenty years, spending much time with her friends and family, including her son, Michael, until his passing in 2023, and her five grandchildren, Corey (Taylor), Kyle (Casey), Andrew, Sarah, and Sophia, and her five great-grandchildren, Mason, Brielle, Islay, Jude, and Grahm, all of whom she is survived by. Hitoko is also survived by her step-daughter, Marsha (Les) Higby, step-grandsons, Jefferson (Velvet) Warner and Jameson (Kathy) Warner.