I was a student at Stevenson, 1971-74.
Mr. Takasaki was my teacher for wood shop, audio visual and my homeroom teacher for 8th and 9th grades. He was, by far, the best teacher one could ever ask for. I had visited Stevenson in the mid 80s and was fortunate to have lunch with him and another teacher in the cafeteria.
He was truly interested in what a former student had accomplished.
I was just planning another trip to Hawaii and found this memorial.
I now wish I could have visited in 2014. My deepest sympathies to his family.

Dear Mrs. Saiki;
Our deepest sympathy to you and your family.  We knew Bob as a fellow resident at 15 Craigside.  He attended a rehearsal of the variety show on Dec. 9 and he was smiling while we were performing.  After the show, we shook his hands and he was happy.  We also visited him while he was in the Health Care Center. 
Bob also had a passion for teaching. 
I(Eric)used to look to him as a model teacher --- instilling discipline in his students but fair and compassionate with them. He was willing to allow me, as the program specialist for industrial arts, to use his wood shop at Stevenson Middle School to conduct workshops for teachers in the summer. Many of the industrial arts teachers had great respect for him. 
We missed him at 15C but he is no longer suffering in pain.  May he now rest in peace and be with his wife.  Sincerely, Eric Chang & Gladys Hartness, 15 Craigside.

We used to call him "Takasaki san" which he immediately corrected as "Mr. Takasaki to you", in 8th grade shop.  I naively assumed long ago that he was long gone, never realizing how young he really was, and never tried to look him up. He was immensely kind and patient with me in his class.  He was my favorite teacher in my years at Stevenson.  Had I known he lived only blocks from me in Arcadia, I would have delighted in seeing him again, but I just did not know enough to do the math and think he might still be around let alone look for him.  I'm deeply saddened, and can offer only that I am one of thousands and thousands of students who until this very day, put to use what we learned from him.  Right now, I'm supervising a wood shop project with my 28 year old daughter, and it all came from Mr. T.  Kind, good humored, gentle, with the kind of discipline that came from his ability to inspire a desire to please a good man.  After I had moved to Roosevelt, I came back with a request to use the shop over the summer to paint a special bike with metalflake.  He allowed the 3 week project, no strings but good care and cleanup.  "NO" would have been so easy, but he said "Yes", and was immensely praising of my work.  He was a treasure to me as a boy, and now as an old man myself, I miss him.       

Tom Harris, Stevenson School 8th grade shop in 1964.

Dear Mrs. Saiki,

                I was so sorry to read of Bob's passing last month.  He and my late husband Al became good friends when both were at the old Waipahu HS -- he was the industrial arts teacher and Al was vice principal.  One summer Bob helped Al make two sturdy shelves in the school's shop (without any nails and multiple layers of shellac, as Al used to boast!).   Since then, these shelves moved with us everywhere, even to the Big Island for six years and back here to Oahu.  They are still with me, none the worse for wear, and a constant reminder of Bob, his generosity and friendship .   He and Nancy were such a devoted couple.   It was wonderful to see them enjoying life together.  Now they are together once again.  
                My deepest  sympathy to you and your family  for losing such a great brother, uncle and human being.  

                                                                Sincerely,  Shizue Miyasato

OBITUARY

Robert Yosato Takasaki

March 20, 1923 – December 17, 2014

Borthwick Mortuary

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