Asaye Hatai

Asaye was born on December 5, 1929, in the city of Gilroy, California to her parents Shinayo Tagawa and Tetsutaro Toyoshima. Asaye was one of eleven children. The family relocated to the Denver CO area during the war and returned to the San Jose, CA area after the war. Asaye met her husband, Hiroshi, through family friends and were married on October 12, 1952, at the San Jose Buddhist Church. They moved to Ivanhoe, CA where they eventually purchased land and farmed and raised their four children. She enjoyed family and loved attending her grandchildren sporting and band events. In her later years, she always looked forward to the annual family girls trip to Las Vegas where she could battle the one armed bandit slot machines.

Asaye is survived by her children: daughters Elaine (Edward) McCue, Janie Hatai, Nancy (Randall) Sasaki, and son Donald (Jayne) Hatai; grandchildren, Richard (Jacqueline) McCue, Patricia (Bryan) McCue, Mieko McCue, Joseph (Lea) McCue, James McCue, Andrew Hatai, Matthew (Tiffany) Sasaki, and Alyssa (Drew) Hatai; great grandchildren Jonathan McCue, Roberta McCue, Kaia McCue, and Kian McCue and many nieces and nephews.

Asaye was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, Hiroshi, parents Shinayo and Tetsutaro Toyoshima, sisters Miyuki (Masami) Nawata, Satsuki (Shiyoji) Abe, Haruyo Toyoshima, Sueyo (George) Yamaguma, Sumiye (Art) Ogisaka, and Yukiye (Toshio) Hatai; brothers, Masamitsu Toyoshima, Takezo (Mae) Toyoshima, Masago Toyoshima, and Akiyoshi (Suyeko) Toyoshima.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 11:00 am at the Miller’s Memorial Chapel in Visalia CA.