Richard Kazuyoshi Tamura

Richard was born December 6, 1944 in a Japanese American internment camp in Tule Lake, California, to Yoshio and Ayako Tamura. He grew up in Fremont, California with his parents and younger brother Ron. He attended Mission San Jose Elementary School and Irvington High School before going on to receive his BA from Stanford University and MBA from Santa Clara University. In college, he studied abroad in France and traveled through Europe.

Richard met his wife Jeanne while both were working at Lockheed Missiles and Space. They married in 1968 in San Jose. Richard worked as a housing consultant for companies such as William Lyon and Ponderosa Homes and eventually started his own company, R.K. Tamura and Associates. As he liked real estate, Richard and Jeanne moved frequently within California before settling in Irvine so their three children could have continuity throughout their school years. Richard had a great appreciation for art and design, and inherited his talent for drawing and painting from his father. He also enjoyed listening to jazz music, eating French cuisine, playing golf, traveling to Hawaii with family, reading spy/detective novels, taking naps, and making silly “dad jokes.” Richard spent the last 10 years of his life relaxing in retirement in Summerlin, Nevada.

Richard is fondly remembered by his wife Jeanne Tamura, with whom he shared a remarkable 55-year journey. He is also survived by his brother Ron Tamura, and children Skyler Tamura and her husband Sean Miller, Griffin Tamura and his wife Veronica Tamura, and Diandra Coronel and her husband Christopher Coronel. Additionally, Richard's presence will be missed by his adoring granddaughters: Rory and Juliette Tamura, and Kinley and Kyla Coronel.

If you’d like to have a drink in Richard’s honor, we recommend a Diet Coke or Johnnie Walker Black on the rocks.