Teddy Sato

Her parents were from Nagasaki, japan. During WWII the Japanese on the west coast were relocated to internment camps. She was taken to Camp Minidoka located in Idaho. While they lived at the camp where they were released to work in farmer’s fields if they wanted to earn money.

On July 1, 1946 she married her high school sweetheart, Roy Sato in Vancouver, Washington. Her husband was a pile driver. They moved around a lot during their early years of marriage following the construction jobs throughout Oregon and Washington. They finally settled down in Portland, Oregon. They had two sons Ken and Gary and one daughter, Karen.

She stayed home to raise her family until her youngest child was in the seventh grade. While staying home she was an active member in her children’s school PTA. She was a room mother who would bake treats for the different holidays for one of her children’s classroom teacher’s. One year she made cupcakes with pumpkins on top. The children thought the pumpkins were made of candy instead of frosting. The kids tried to take off the pumpkin and ended up with a finger of frosting.

Growing up Teddy’s favorite method of discipline was her metal flyswatter. She used that method until she was swatting Ken and it bent in the shape of his rear end and didn’t seem to hurt him. He just laughed, which made her madder at him. If one of the children wanted to do something and had to ask for permission, it was like you were caught in a loop. If Teddy was asked she would say ask Roy and vice versa.

Her first job was working at a nursery where she tended to plants and in the holiday season would make wreaths. Her passion was sewing. She took classes at night. She even learned to make her own patterns. She could even make suits and coats. She worked and retired from ladies’ alterations at a major department store. She had an eye on bargain shopping for designer clothes. She got a store discount. She would follow an outfit that she liked to the marked down stage. When they got marked down twice and with her discount she would buy it. The cost of the clothes would be less than she could make it. She quit making clothes for herself.

Her hobbies were sewing, bowling, golfing, walking at Clackamas Town Center, gardening and mushroom hunting on Mt. hood. She also was quite talented at cake decorating and flower arranging. She enjoyed traveling to Korea, Japan, Hawaii and Canada. Her trips to Korea, Hawaii and Canada was to visit her children. Her trip to Japan was with Shig and Kiyo as part of the agricultural exchange reunion. She had to give up sewing, bowling and golfing when her arthritis got bad.

When Roy was healthy she would like to go mushroom hunting. When the terrain was steep Roy would help Teddy up the hillside. He would tie a robe around himself. Teddy would grab onto the rope and let Roy help pull her up the hill. She enjoyed walking. She would get up early to start walking at the Clackamas Town Center. She liked to get there by six in the morning when the doors opened. Walking was a time of socializing. She had her group that she walked with. After walking they would they would all sit down together and have a cup of coffee along with good conversation. If someone missed walking for a few times in a row the would ask the others if they had seen them. They cared for one another.

Teddy was a natural caregiver. After Roy had a stroke he was in a nursing home. He wanted to come home. Teddy spent time with physical therapy learning how to transfer him. Her whole world was taking care of Roy until his passing.

After years of being a widow. She got a second chance to love again. A family friend Vern who was part of Teddy’s walking group had lost his wife. They found comfort in each other. When he first started to pursue her she was clueless. Her daughter pointed our that he was interested in her. She couldn’t believe it. They eventually spent most of their time together until his passing.

Teddy passed peacefully on December 11, 2015. Her family at her bedside at Parkview Memory Care facility.

When her children were going through her papers they didn’t realize what a collector she was. Do you ever wonder what people did with family? Christmas picture cards, birth announcements, and etc? Her children found out that she kept them. Know that each picture you ever sent Teddy that she treasured and kept each one of them