Kiyoko Tanimura Sugiyama

Kiyoko Sugiyama was born in Iga, Mie Prefecture, Japan on January 20, 1926 to Koma and Toyozo Tanimura. She was the youngest of four children. After graduating from Uyeno Jyogakko, she went to work for Sumitomo Bank in Osaka. In 1948, she married Masaki Sugiyama, who was introduced to her by her uncle who knew Masaki through his business. After marriage, she moved to Numazu in Shizuoka Prefecture which was a 16-hour train ride from her parents' home in Iga. Even though she was far from her family, she never felt lonely because her house was filled with ladies from the neighborhood eager to teach her how to cook the local dishes. Kiyoko and Masaki had three children.

In 1958, Masaki returned to California to re-establish his residency in the US. Kiyoko, with her children, followed him in 1960. Even though she didn't speak English, she quickly obtained her CA driver's license and worked at various jobs to earn money so she could visit her aging mother in Japan on a yearly basis. When her mother passed away, she retired from having an outside job.

In 1981, she welcomed her first grandchild, Marc, and she decided to become a full- time babysitter to him. Not only did she take care of him all day, she also sewed him kimonos and knitted him sweaters. Finally, when Marc reached the age of 3 1/2, she was able to retire from full-time baby-sitting responsibilities.

After her husband of 51 years passed away in 1999, she kept busy with her hobbies including flower arrangement, patchwork, and needlepoint. She also enjoyed taking her children and grandchildren on vacations. Some of the destinations included Japan, Hawaii, Canadian Rockies, Niagara Falls, Maine coasts, and most of the National Parks west of the Mississippi River. She also loved to play slots at the casinos, almost to a fault. She was also very active in Orange County Christian Church until her health slowed her down.

On Feb. 6, 2017, she passed to our Lord at her home in Anaheim. She is survived by her three children: Mary (James) Beaucher, Timothy "Tak" Sugiyama, and Ruth (Osamu) Ikeda; three grandchildren: Marc (Angela) Ikeda, Robert (Priscilla) Ikeda, and John (Vibha) Ikeda; and three great-grandchildren.