Yoshio "Yosh" Shinkawa, age 96, of Fresno, CA, passed away on Friday, May 4, 2018, at Orchard Park. He was born in Fresno, CA, on April 19, 1922, to the late Toshio and Kinu Shinkawa, who immigrated to the United States from Japan in 1910.
Yosh was a member of the Fresno Bowles Church, Bowles Shinwakai and Fresno Buddhist Church. He was a raisin farmer for 70 years. He attended Washington Union High School and graduated in June of 1941. The following year he was relocated to Jerome, AK, with his family during WWII. After the war ended the family was able to return to their home in Fresno to continue with their raisin farming. They were very grateful to their neighbors who oversaw the ranch and farmed it during the family's internment period. Yoshio eventually purchased his own 60-acre farm in Caruthers, CA, and farmed there for the next 58 years until the death of his wife, Mary Shinkawa.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Toshio and Kinu; wife, Mary; and his siblings, Kofumi Nishioka, Yoshiko Umade, Hideo Shinkawa, Kinuye Takanishi, and Takumi Shinkawa. Dad will forever be remembered by his daughter, Melanie Fry and her husband James; his grandchildren, Terence Cortez, Christanie Holt and her husband JJ and Treven Fry; and five great-grandchildren.
The family would like to thank dad's personal caregiver, Gabriela Vazquez, the staff at Orchard Park, Dr. Dennis Nakata, Peter Liew and the employees at Sakura-Chaya and many others who made dad's life enjoyable and full of laughter to the very end.
Visitation will be held at Lisle Funeral Home on Friday, May 25, 2018 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
A Funeral Service will be held at the Fresno Betsuin Dharma Center on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at 11:00 am. A reception to follow immediately after the service. Interment will be held on Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at 11:00 am at Washington Colony Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Orchard Park, 675 W Alluvial Avenue, Clovis, CA 93611.
