Elaine Ishikawa Hayes

ELAINE ISHIKAWA HAYES (97) died peacefully in Seattle on November 21, 2020 due to COVID-19. A Seattle resident for over 70 years, she is remembered by those who knew her as energetic, strong-willed, outgoing, and generous. A self-described idealist and optimist, she faced head-on the prejudice that came with being Japanese American, married to a black man, and raising four bi-racial children.

Elaine was born on June 30, 1923 in Willows, California to her Japanese immigrant parents, Taneo and Taka Ishikawa. She grew up in Chico and Sacramento, the oldest of five daughters. Elaine was 18 when the Pearl Harbor attack launched the US into WWII. Her family was among the approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans and legal residents who were forced to evacuate their homes. The family was moved to the Tule Lake Relocation Camp in northern California.

After being allowed to leave Camp, the family relocated to Chicago where Elaine met her future husband, Ralph Hayes, while working at the Rosenwald Foundation. Elaine moved to Seattle after Ralph was accepted at the University of Washington. They were married in April 1950. In the following decade, they had four children while living in the Central District as Ralph began his teaching career.

In the mid-60s, Elaine was a pioneer in local early childhood education programs for low income and disadvantaged families. She remembered this as one of the most challenging yet satisfying periods of her professional life. In 1965, despite resistance from some in the area, the family bought a house in the predominately white Ravenna neighborhood. Resourceful and open-hearted, Elaine and Ralph became a beloved fixture in what grew to be a tight-knit neighborhood.

Elaine had a life-long love of gardening. She enjoyed making her signature teriyaki chicken and sushi for potlucks and parties. Ever social, she maintained relationships with family and friends across the US and Japan. Even as she aged and was no longer able to live independently due to Alzheimer’s, Elaine never lost her fighting spirit or her curious and engaging nature.

She is survived by her sons Larry, Peter, and Mark (Ayumi), grandsons, Taiyo and Kaiya, and sister, Sara Ishikawa. She is preceded in death by her husband Ralph and daughter Candace.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Aljoya Assisted Living and Aegis Living Callahan House for their care and support. We also want to thank the congregation of the Shoreline Universalist Unitarian Church.

A celebration of her life will be postponed to a later date. Share memories of Elaine at: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/.

Donations can be made to the nonprofit organization of your choice or to Densho - https://densho.org.