Noriko Ogawa

Pebble Beach ~ Noriko Ogawa, born October 15, 1937 in Japan, passed away in Monterey on May 24. She and her family emigrated from Japan to the Monterey Peninsula in 1986. Noriko was a Japanese to English interpreter for Language Line for over 20 years.

A generous, compassionate and humble woman, Noriko had a strong community of friends. She put other people first and was always willing to help anyone in need. Noriko loved dogs especially her pets, Kuma and Kuro. She was a beautiful knitter and seamstress, making many of her daughter’s clothes and gifting friends with her quilts and other handcrafts.

Noriko is survived by her son, Jun (Yuko) Ogawa of Tokyo; her daughter, Aya (Irwin Chen) Ogawa of Brooklyn and her grandchildren, Lynn and Yuu Ogawa and Kai Chen. Her husband, Akira, passed away in 2007.

Memorial services will be held at The Little Chapel by-the-Sea in Pacific Grove this Sunday, May 29 at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the SPCA of Monterey County, PO Box 3058, Monterey, 93942 or the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund, www.japansociety.org/earthquake.