Reiko Taniyama Shields

Reiko Taniyama Shields passed from this life on Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 at Wagoner, OK with her family by her side. She was born August 19th, 1930 in Hiroshima, Japan, the daughter of Captain Kunihiko Taniyama (Japanese Royal Navy) and Mrs. Mitsuko Zuschizaki-Taniyama. The family moved to Tokyo and Reiko began her career as a professional chorus girl in the Nichigeki Music Hall, the largest theatre of its kind in Tokyo. She met and would later marry “Sandy” William Wayne Shields in 1948 in Tokyo. Sandy and Reiko retired in Tahlequah where she later attended LPN school, and worked as a surgical technician at the Tahlequah City Hospital until her retirement. When she wasn’t working, she enjoyed sewing, fishing, cooking sushi, somen and gyoza for her family, playing bingo and going to casinos. She had a spunky personality and her grandchildren were her life blood.

She is preceded in death by her stillborn son, “Little Bill”, mother, father, 7 brothers, 1 sister, and husband, SFC William Wayne Shields, Retired U.S. Army.

Survivors include her partner of over 30 years, Sequoyah David Choate, she gave birth to three daughters: Billie Shields – Wagoner, OK; Carroll Shield-Hunihan - Mannford, OK; and Nancy Ryan (Dennis) -Wagoner, OK. Reiko lives on in her seven grandchildren, Jason Shields - San Leandro, CA; Reileene Gilkey - Tulsa; Jessica Shields Thornburg (Paul) – Delaware; Tani Shern (Brian) - Owasso, OK; Tara Alexis Colvard (Brent) -Tahlequah, OK; Jamie Hunihan - Mannford, OK; Rachel Patrick - Dallas, TX; eleven great grandchildren as well as a host of friends and loved ones too numerous to mention.