Ruth Mitsuyo Kobayashi Oki

At age 10 she went to Japan to live with her grandparents while not being fluent in Japanese. She quickly adapted to her new life enough to be accepted into the prestigious Numazu Girls High School where she excelled in math and gymnastics and made many lifelong friends. Then immediately after the war she returned to the U.S. having little memory of English and was promptly proposed to by her future mother-in-law. She then married the love of her life, Tatemasa Oki in Seattle. After relearning English, she worked at Frederick & Nelson as a reweaver and later after attending night school while herding cats and receiving an AA in Bookkeeping, she became the supervisor of the F & N Credit Union until her retirement in 1988.

She volunteered at Kokoro Kai until the age or 92 and enjoyed being with family, going on cruises, taking many trips to Japan, and going to the casino. She made the best sushi, and apple and lemon meringue pies.

She is preceded in death by Tatemasa and is survived by her children, Susan (Scott) Kato, Art Oki (Jeannette Takashima), Annie (John) Walker and Todd (Akiko) Oki and her grandchildren Kumi, Chika (Eugene), Atsushi (Allison), Andrew and CC.

There will be a private service for her. Remembrances may be sent to Kaiser Permanente Hospice, Kokoro Kai or the Seattle Nichiren Buddhist Church.