Dear Auntie Jo, Steve, Dina, April and Kathy:

One of my first recollections of grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle Tets is a two story apartment somewhere in Long Beach.  I suppose nowadays you would consider it low cost housing but then you have to remember, it was right after WWII, and housing was very limited.  And they were lucky to have the apartment.

Then I remember the Canal Street house.  It was a typical tract house with a room added at the back wall of the living room.  This space filled up the original U-shape of the house between the kitchen wing and the bedroom wing.  The outdoor window was still intact so when we were in bed, we could peek through the window into the living room and see the TV.  Grandpa and Grandma loved to watch wrestling.

Uncle Tets must have been in the army around the first time we visited because I remember wandering through the house and peeking into his room.  We kids went in because he wasn't home.  He did come home on the weekend, and we were so shy, we couldn't say much to him.  Of course, he didn't say much to us.  Your dad wasn't comfortable with talking to his nieces and nephew, especially since we spoke mostly Japanese when we were little.

One thing I do remember is that he had a pile of laundry that he brought home in a large duffle bag.  Grandpa/Grandma made sure they did all the laundry before he left that weekend.  I have a vague recollection of Auntie Sachiko driving him to the bus station.

Grandma would come to Santa Barbara once in a while to visit.  Uncle Tets would drive her.  I don't think Grandpa traveled anywhere.  He always stayed home.  I have a vague recollection of him drinking “healthy” drinks, like vegetable and fruit juices.  This was in the 1950s so he was doing things differently from most people of that time.  Your dad talked about it once.  He said Grandpa was into treating himself with health foods and didn't get the right help soon enough to prevent his death.

Your dad didn't talk a lot to us when we were small.  I think your mom was responsible for changing his life:  he went to college and pursued a career; he got married to your mom and had a family with all the romantic, emotional, and social ties he didn't have as a child.  Your dad and mom were committed to raising their family with love and opportunities to pursue one's dreams.  And he started conversing with his nieces and nephews.  Do you remember all the trips in that big van you had for a while?  I think he loved to drive and you all must have had some grand adventures.

Your dad and mom gave us a lot of board games for Christmas presents.  The three of us used to play those games for hours on end.  Do you know I still have those games, and they are still intact except for the Scrabble game?  I lost some of the tiles.  And now they are not even made out of wood.  How times change...

In the days my mom was young, Grandpa and Grandma were part of three families running a laundry.  I think it was a difficult business for three families to survive on.  Somewhere I saw a picture of the laundry.  Maybe Susie can locate a copy.

Another business venture was a Chinese Restaurant with Grandma as the cook.  My mother told me she was the waitress.  I asked her who would come to a Chinese Restaurant in San Pedro (or was it somewhere else?)  She said mostly haole people.

When your dad was in Korea, he visited Auntie Miyeko and Uncle Isamu in Kagoshima.  I think it was the first time he met his sister and his older brother Tatsuro.  I think it must have been a trying time for him because Auntie Miyeko once told me that she was so surprised to find out she couldn't converse with your dad because he didn't speak Japanese.

When your dad visited Kagoshima, back in those days in Japan, it was still rather primitive and totally unlike what Japanese homes of today are.  But he did get to meet two siblings he only knew by name.  Uncle Tatsuro is long gone.  Auntie Miyeko recently went into a care home.  She has difficulty walking because of her bad knee and has developed Alzheimer's but is able to eat on her own and has some lapses in her memory.

I know your dad and mom visited Mom a few months ago.  Susie and I very much appreciate the love and concern your dad and mom have shown to Mom by visiting her over the years.  Her speech has disappeared but in her heart, we know she was always touched and grateful to them for taking the time to visit and for their thoughtfulness in bringing her favorite manju.  So we all thank you very much for your efforts to stay in touch with Mom.

I know you all have great memories of your numerous family gatherings.  Over the years, despite the miles separating you, you managed to get together for the holidays.  Your parents also had many opportunities to travel all over.  Cherish your memories of those great times.  May those memories bring smiles and laughter back into your hearts.  We'll miss a wonderful uncle, and you will miss your loving dad.  Take care.

With much love and aloha to each of you,

Hiroko and Skip

Dear Auntie Jo, Steve, Dina, April, and Kathy,

Hiroko wrote such a nice letter recalling all her memories of Uncle Tets, but you have to remember she is older than me and she can remember more than me.

I remember Uncle Tets having a convertible car---I think it was a big, red and white convertible---pretty classy looking.  He was proud of his car.

I also recollect meeting you Auntie for the first time...I was thinking, wow, she is so pretty, so nice and likes to laugh.  She made us kids feel so comfortable...and she was going to be our new auntie because Uncle was getting married.  Uncle always seemed a little shy and reserved so you were the perfect match for him, Auntie Jo.  You brought him out of his shyness and transformed him and gave him the confidence to become the man he was.

I also want to say how kind and thoughtful Uncle Tets, Kathy, and you, Auntie, were in taking the time to drive all across town from Marina Del Rey, stop in Japanese town to buy special manju for Mom and come to Diamond Bar to visit with her...and even when she was no longer able to talk, you still visited her.  That meant so much to her and all of us.  Thank you.

We will all miss Uncle Tets and remember him with love.

Love,
Susie

Dear Family of Tets -- I learned yesterday that Tets had passed in early December.  My apologies for the delay in reaching you.  I worked with Tets at STL/TRW during the years 1965-1968, and savored the experience totally.  Tets was great at his work, and had a robust sense of humor.  I learned a great deal from him.  He had great personal integrity (the space engineers placed great trust in HIS work especially, and that was an important life lesson for me to see.  I'd always been intending to see him again, but he and I will have to have our reunion in heaven.  I wish all of you the very best.  Warm regards -- John

OBITUARY

Tetsuo Nakamura

August 11, 1933 – December 5, 2012

Eternal Hills Mortuary & Crematory at Eternal Hills Memorial Park

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