Laurie Jayne Nakamura

April 16, 1946 – April 25, 2022

Resident of San Jose

Laurie Jayne Nakamura, 76, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 25, 2022, with her daughters and special family members by her side. She had endured tremendous health challenges and medical procedures in recent years that slowly left their mark. She is now free from stress and pain, and is reunited with her late husband, and love of her life, Douglas.

Laurie was born to the late Dr. Jared W. Mills and late Barbara J. Mills in a naval hospital in Jacksonville, FL. The couple moved out west, with two-week old Laurie in a makeshift crib where the backseat used to be, to San Francisco, CA. They later settled in Redwood City, and their family grew. Laurie became the eldest of five daughters.

In her youth, Laurie loved to draw and read. She also cooked and baked often for her sisters. She later became skilled with a sewing machine, and a talented knitter. Laurie belonged to the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls… a masonic youth leadership organization focused on community service. She achieved the rank of ‘Worthy Advisor’, the highest rank achievable in the Assembly. She graduated from Sequoia High School in 1964, and started her college journey at Linfield College in Oregon, moving later to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. Her degree was put on hold soon after she met Douglas and started the next chapter of her life as a wife and mother in San Jose.

Family was the center of life for Doug and Laurie. She often put her immediate and extended family as first priority, sacrificing personal interests and time with friends. She managed the office for the family business for nearly 40 years, while simultaneously tending to the needs of her three daughters. Laurie was a loving, yet firm mom, and her girls knew that she would defend them until the end. She had several ‘adopted’ children, as more than a few friends and family members came to live at the Nakamura’s for periods of time. Laurie’s family was her life’s work… we have learned well from her, and will strive to make her proud.

Laurie is survived by her three daughters: Andrea Gibson, Pamela (Scott Kolberg) Nakamura, and Sandra Nakamura; her siblings: Cathy Radosevich, Judy (Mike) Slavens, Debbie (John) Lee, and Natalie Kosay; and her grandchildren: Drew Gibson, Hannah Gibson, Chelsea Gibson, and Jacob Kolberg. She is also survived by a large, loving extended family of both in-laws and relation, as well as her wonderful friends.

A memorial service will be held at 12:00 p.m. Sunday, May 22, 2022, at the Willow Glen Funeral Chapel, 1039 Lincoln Ave., San Jose. All friends and family are welcome to attend.

If you are so inclined, in lieu of flowers, we suggest making a small donation in Mom's honor to one of her two favorite charitable organizations. She was a regular donor to St. Jude Children's Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/), and supported their honest efforts to fight childhood cancer. Mom also appreciated and utilized Cancer CAREpoint (https://www.cancercarepoint.org/) here in San Jose for their counseling and wellness services