Kumiko was born in Tokyo, Japan on November 6, 1933. Her parents were Takashi Horie and Etsu (Ishii) Horie. She had two sisters Tamiko and Michiko and one brother Noriake. Noriake and Michiko have passed and her surviving sister Tamiko Sekino continues to play tennis and lives in Tokyo, Japan. Kumiko has three children, George, John and Janice. George lives in Gibsonton, Florida; he works as an engineer 3 for Streamsong Resorts. John lives in Gibsonton, Florida and is a retired marine technician. Janice lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband Burke Byrne. Janice works as a quality manager for ARUP Laboratories and Burke works as a director of global regulatory affairs for Esperion. It was important to Kumiko to make sure her children maintained a close relationship with their cousins and family in Japan. Tamiko and her three children, Fumio, Miki and Minako often visited Kumiko in Florida. Most recently, Miki Sekino and his wife Hiroi Sekino and their two children Yuki and Ryusei visited Kumiko in Salt Lake City in February 2022. The cousins all remain in close contact in large part because of Kumiko’s commitment to family.
Kumiko worked in Japan at an Officer’s Club for the US military, where she met her future husband, Louis Pinterics. They moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where her three children were all born. She was devoted to her children and everything she did, she did for them. The family moved from Honolulu, when her children were still young. They lived in Alabama for a few years and then moved to Tampa, Florida. After living in Tampa for a few years, the family found a property in Gibsonton, Florida, where Kumiko lived for over 40 years. Kumiko was a stay at home mom until she turned 45. When she was 45, she was committed to gaining some level of financial independence. She had a goal of becoming a nurse. The US would not accept her degree from Japan, so she had to go back to school to get her GED. Kumiko worked for a time as a lunch room aide for the local elementary school that her children attended. She worked part time, while studying for her GED. Throughout the years, Kumiko successfully continued her education and became an LPN and she finally accomplished her goal of becoming a registered nurse. She enjoyed a successful nursing career for Tampa General Hospital from September 1979 to November 2001.
Kumiko was a strong-willed, outspoken and independent woman. Throughout the years, she took her children to Japan a number of times. After retiring, Kumiko adopted her beloved kitty Nana. She loved Nana and she enjoyed watching the birds and sunsets from her patio. Kumiko enjoyed her retired life and she enjoyed going out to eat and spending time with her family and friends. She was a big lover of animals and she became a big fan of the Japanese singer, Hikawa Kiyoshi. Her son John lived next door to Kumiko and Kumiko also loved John’s kitty Pebbles. Because of John’s support, she was able to maintain her independence in her home until Summer of 2020.
In Summer of 2020, Kumiko moved to Salt Lake City with Janice and Burke. She spent her final two years as she spent her entire life; she was always committed to improving herself. In final two years of life, she committed to an exercise program where she was ultimately able to do modified push-ups and planks! Kumiko kept Janice and Burke entertained and educated them on the rules of Sumo. One of Kumiko’s favorite shows in her final days was The American Ninja Warrior. She had a small balcony where she could continue her love of watching birds and nature. She was even visited by a local bobcat on her 88th birthday! They sincerely enjoyed their time with Kumiko and really appreciated her sense of humor.
Kumiko was a woman of strength and determination. Her spirit was strong, even in her final days. She will be very deeply missed by her family and her friends. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Humane Society or another charity that is dedicated to saving animals.
A service will be held in Brandon, Florida on Saturday May 28th. More details will be forthcoming.
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