Kishie Munakata Brooks

Feb. 13, 1929 - March 14, 2012

Kishie "June” Munakata Brooks, 83, passed away at the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home on March 14, 2012. She is survived by her husband Granville Lee Brooks, a daughter Patty Simmons and husband Marty of Kernersville, a son John and wife Gail of Winston-Salem and three grandchildren: Zac and wife Joanna of Philadelphia, PA, Dan and Stephen both of Davidson, NC.

June was born in Fukuoka, Japan. She spent much of her childhood under the watchful eye of a grandmother who taught her the ways of gardening as they tended the gardens at the Buddhist Temple. Her childhood was filled with stories one finds in the history books. When she was 17 years old she witnessed the Black Flyers announcing the bomb, the flash of the “Fat Man” and the thousands of refugees fleeing Nagasaki.

June met Lee, and the love of her life, in Japan while she was working as a translator in the USAF hospital during the Korean War. She became a war bride and after much toil and hardship Lee was able to bring her to the United States. She assimilated in the southern lifestyle and began to live the American dream. She lovingly focused her time on raising her two young children. She began to use the gardening skills learned in Japan in her own garden. She was known for her beautiful vegetables and flowers and summer was one of her favorite times of the year as she spent her days outside working in the garden. Her green thumb was just part of her busy hands. The rest of the year she enjoyed using her sewing and needlework skills. She was known as an adventurous cook as she would prepare and eat anything that Lee shot or caught…except she never did acquire a taste for squirrel. No matter what was on the table it was welcome to anyone who walked through the door. And then there was the gift of grandsons. Maw Maw - that was a role that she lovingly and readily embraced. On more than one occasion she was deemed the best Grandmother a boy could have.

One of her treasured accomplishments was the day she became an American citizen. She studied long and hard to make her dream a reality. Along the way during trips to the beach her brother in law, Jim taught her how to fish. She loved to spend hours on the pier and held two pier records in years past for her fishing accomplishments. June and Lee traveled out west, and took some bus tours but her real love was Lee Brooks, family and home. She spent her final years under Lee’s tender care and as far as her story goes she would probably say about now, “Lee, that’ll be ‘enough”.

The family would like to thank Bayada Home Health Care especially Carvena Brown for her compassionate and loving care and the many wonderful people at Hospice who assisted along the way.

The family will visit with friends Friday, March 16th, from 7 to 9 PM at Frank Vogler and Sons Funeral Home, 2951Reynolda Road. On-line condolences may be made to www.frankvoglerandsons.com