Tonney T Yamane

Tonney Yamane, 85, died November 3, 2012. Born November 6, 1926 in Tacoma, Washington, Tonney was the youngest child of Moriichi and Yoshi Yamane. He was preceded in death by his 3 older brothers—Kazuo, Hideo (Dick), and George—and his 3 older sisters, Matsuye, Sadako, and Nobuyo. He lived in Tacoma until his family was interned during World War II, and he attended high school at the internment camp in Heart Mountain, Wyoming. He served in the Army in 1945-46 and later graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Business Administration. He was an active member of Tacoma’s Japanese Methodist Church, where he met his wife Naomi. They married in 1957, and settled in Olympia in 1962. They raised two daughters, Debra (Michiko) and Kim (Kimiko). Tonney worked for the State of Washington for nearly 40 years, retiring in 1993. During his employment and into his retirement, he enjoyed getting together with friends for a game of rummy or the monthly poker game. He was active in the Olympia chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League and as a member of the Seattle Nisei Veterans Committee, raised money for the National Japanese American Memorial for Patriotism in Washington, DC. He enjoyed working in the garden, spending time with family and friends, and vacationing in the Pacific Northwest, around the United States, and abroad. Tonney was a kind and gentle man. He will be missed. A celebration of Tonney’s life will be held on Sunday, November 11 at 1:00 p.m. at Mills & Mills Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 5725 Littlerock Road SW, Tumwater, WA. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation (njamf.com) or the Nisei Veterans Committee, 1212 S. King St. Seattle, WA 98144 (www.seattlenvc.org).