Sonoko Katagiri

It is with heavy heart that we announce the passing of Sonoko “Kyoko” Katagiri on April 27, 2025. She died peacefully in her sleep. Kyoko was born in Tokyo, Japan on November 5, 1931. She had 5 brothers and was the only girl among her siblings. At a young age, she and her brothers worked to support the family. She and her family survived the WWII bombing of Tokyo. When she was 20, she met Taro Katagiri in Tokyo, where he was serving in the US Army in Korea. They were engaged for 7 years, married in Tokyo, and then eventually moved to the States. Taro and Kyoko have one daughter Suzy. Kyoko loved the military life – travelling and living in places like Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Tokyo, and Okinawa. She volunteered and taught other military wives how to arrange flowers. She and Taro settled in Fresno when he retired in 1974. In Fresno, Kyoko had her own business – Kyoko’s Flower Shop for 15 years. She loved to create beautiful fresh and silk flower arrangements. Besides flower arranging, her other hobbies included ceramics, jewelry making, and ballroom dancing. These are the words that come to mind in describing Kyoko: joyful, kind, loving, generous, compassionate, and creative. One of the most noticeable things about Kyoko is her smile that would light up any room. She had a knack for making friends with complete strangers. With her smile, she made adults and children feel instantly at ease and made connections with them. Kyoko loved to spend time with her family with her daughter Suzy, son-in-law David, and grandson Oliver. She cooked for them, traveled to Japan with them almost every year and was a loving and generous mom, mother-in-law, and grandma. Even though Kyoko lived alone after her husband’s death for 28 years, she was independent and, as she would say in her own words, “create her own happiness.” Kyoko had many friends. In one of the last conversations with her daughter, she said. “I am surrounded with friends.” She traveled around the world with them and went out to restaurants with them. She frequently invited friends to her home and was a gracious host. Besides hosting friends, she would also take her homemade food to her friends in assisted living or to their homes.

The most important event in her life was her last weeks, where she became a Christian and put her trust in Christ.

Surviving is her daughter, Suzy (David) Anvar of Sunnyvale, CA; her grandson, Oliver; her brother-in-law John Sato of Fresno, and her two nephews in Japan, Riyuji and Makoto Aoyagi.

Please join us in celebration of her life a Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at Lisle Funeral Home, 1605 L Street Fresno. Burial service will be on Friday, May 30 at 11:00 a.m. at Mountain View Cemetery, 1411 Belmont Avenue Fresno.