Mitsue Masuko Kai Tanaka passed peacefully from this life on July 9, 2018. Born in the Territory of Hawaii on September 6, 1920 she was the last surviving child of Motokichi Masuko and his second wife, Miyo. Her family moved to Japan when she was 9 years old and she lived there through the war years, graduating from university and eventually moving to Tokyo.
Working as a secretary for the American Occupation Forces in Tokyo, she met her first husband, Billy M. Kai, a corporal in the U.S. Army. After his tour of duty they returned to the United States living briefly in Los Angeles and finally moving north and settling in the then brand new neighborhood of Willow Glen in San Jose. They had two daughters, Joyce and Karen, before Billy’s death in 1954.
She married her second husband, Minoru Tanaka in 1962, honeymooning as a family at the Seattle World’s Fair. Mitsue and Min loved to take drives and sightsee. Among Mitsue’s favorite destinations were the California coast, especially Monterey and Carmel, and Yosemite National Park. She and Min also made numerous visits to Hawaii and Japan to visit Mitsue’s family.
In their later years, Min and Mitsue especially enjoyed their home and neighbors and being active at Yu Ai Kai Senior Center. After Min’s passing in 2013, Mitsue continued to be supported and nurtured by her neighbors, Yu Ai Kai, and her surviving daughter Karen, son-in-law Robert Rusky and grandson Quillan.
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