Yoshiko Betz, née Yoshioka, was born June 14, 1934 in a suburb of Tokyo, Japan. As a teenager she had a passion for volleyball. After school she worked at Yokota Air Base where she met her future husband, Gene. After marrying and travelling by ship, they settled in Seattle where they raised two daughters. Yoshiko was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1962, during the Seattle World’s Fair. She died peacefully at home, July 23, 2021, with family by her side.
Yoshiko began her local career at the Seattle Knitting Mill as a sewing machine operator and became church secretary at Japanese Baptist Church when her children were in school. From there she became a bilingual executive assistant at Sakamaki and Company, a lumber exporter. She began as a clerk typist at the Metropolitan Branch of Seattle First National Bank and was promoted to personal banker when she transferred to the International Branch. She retired as a bank officer, Bank of America, having received many awards for top seller of the month. She utilized her bilingual skills to assist Japanese American clients with their investments, including World War II internment survivors.
Yoshiko was an excellent cook and baker, hosting many holiday meals for family and neighbors. She enjoyed ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) and gardening, and was an avid golfer for about 35 years. After retirement her passions included traveling with her husband, church friends, and golf buddies, and taking care of her beloved grandson, Sean, and granddog, Chico. She also made time for pinochle, quilting, and regular walks around Green Lake.
Favorite travel destinations included Lake Louise and Banff, two tours of Europe, cruises to Alaska and Mexico, Elderhostel trips, many golfing trips in the U.S., numerous trips home to Japan, including with each daughter and on guided tours with her husband and friends, and many trips to Hawaii to see their oldest friends.
Yoshiko was active in the Japanese Baptist Church for approximately 60 years and a friend and support to many members, spanning three generations. Over the years she attended Bible study, retreats, and choir practice and was competitive in the church volleyball league. Besides serving as secretary and assistant to the pastor, she helped with the annual sukiyaki dinner fundraiser and cooked for informal potlucks. Together with her husband she regularly provided rides to church and visited the sick at the hospital, and elderly at the nursing home.
Mrs. Betz is survived by her husband, Gene, daughters Rebecca Miller (Tom) and Deborah Betz, grandson Sean Miller, four sisters (Japan), several brothers and sisters-in-law, and numerous nieces and nephews in Japan and Pennsylvania. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ryosuke and Akiko Yoshioka, and many brothers and sisters-in-law.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Evergreen-Washelli.com for the Betz family.
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