Mary Therese Kanamine

A New Year’s Eve baby born on Dec. 31, 1934 in Omaha, Neb., Mary was the second of five children of Harold and Irene Stuben. Along with her siblings, she grew up among a large extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins in Omaha. Mary was a tomboy who loved playing sports with the other kids in the neighborhood, riding horses, and going to the movies (a big fan of Mario Lanza).

At 16, while volunteering with the Red Cross as a swim Instructor, she met a handsome lifeguard, Theodore “Ted” Kanamine. He taught her to drive. After she graduated high school, the two began dating — dancing to big bands like the Dorsey Brothers and Glen Miller orchestras in “wonderfully romantic evenings,” she said.

Mary attended Creighton University for a year, before leaving to work at the phone company. She and Ted continued long distance dating while he was at the University of Nebraska Law School despite significant barriers for interracial couples and parental concerns. He converted to Catholicism and both were devout Catholics throughout their lives.

After Ted’s graduation, on June 26, 1954, Ted and Mary crossed state borders, and crossed the river to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where they were married (interracial marriages were still outlawed in Nebraska).

Ted was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army Military Police Corps upon graduating from law school, and began his service in Georgia on Jan. 1, 1955. Thus began Mary’s long career as an Army wife, serving and supporting other military families and communities. Theodore Kanamine became the first active-duty Japanese-American Brigadier General in U.S. Army history.

By the time she was 29, Mary and Ted had 5 kids: Teddy, Michael, David, Laura and Linda.

It was Mary who marshaled logistics and the Kanamine troops - including any number of pets — to move 21 times over 32 years of military life. They went from Omaha to Georgia to Germany… Kansas to Virginia to Bangkok… Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Washington state, and places in-between.

While stationed in Ft. Lewis, Washington, April 1975, Mary was supervisor of Army Community Services volunteers. During this time the Vietnamese Orphan Airlift brought orphans escaping Vietnam to her community. Under Mary’s direction, her volunteers were instrumental in finding homes for each child.

Then back to Germany and Maryland, before retiring to Port St. Lucie in 1981. In 2020, they sold their PSL home and moved to Naples, Fla. to live with Laura and her husband Howard Rutizer.

Mary has consistently been a mentor and leader in every duty station she lived in, from Red Cross volunteer to 3 time president of various Women’s clubs and philanthropic organizations. Known for her strong faith, resilience and humble nature, she made friends easily and was always up for a chat, an outing, or a decadent dessert.

Mary was preceded in death by her beloved husband of almost 70 years Theodore “Ted” Kanamine in 2023; her parents Irene and Harold Stuben; and three siblings Cecelia (Ceil), Harold (Hal) and William (Bill).

She is survived by her children Ted and his wife Sara Kanamine; Mike Kanamine; David Kanamine; Laura and Howard Rutizer; Linda Kanamine; and a younger brother John Stuben and his wife Teresa. She also leaves behind a loving legacy of 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 4pm - 6pm Monday, Sept. 7 at Hodges Funeral Home at Naples Memorial Gardens (525 111th Ave. N., Naples, FL 34108).

Funeral services will be held at 10am Tuesday, Sept. 8 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church (625 111th Ave. N., Naples, FL 34108)

Interment will follow at Sarasota National Cemetery, Sept 8 at 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/promotion/impact-giving-pm.html) or the American Red Cross (https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/).