Masako Yonashiro's Obituary
Masako Yonashiro, 93, of Kahului, passed away on September 29, 2013 at Hale Makua. She was born in Waipahu, on Oahu, on May 1920.
Private services were held by the family. Her urn is buried alongside her predeceased husband of 50 years, Shigeru "Joe" Yonashiro at Maui Memorial Park.
Mrs. Yonashiro was born in Hawaii, but grew up and went to school in Okinawa, and could speak Japanese and Hogen, the Okinawan language, fluently. She returned to Hawaii as a young woman in a family arrangement to marry Shigeru, and began raising their family in the plantation camp of Upper Paia. Their family moved to Kahului in 1960.
She is survived by her daughter, Amy (Tom) Mizuno; son, Larry (Patty) Yonashiro; grandchildren, Lyann (Gary) Okada, Susan (Mike) Ching, Jackie (Aaron) Auna, Vickie (Jun) Ito, Liz (Ryan) Jones, Connie Yonashiro; and great-grandchildren, Justiin Ching, Cody Ching, Jenna Okada, Elise Auna, Elijah Auna, Evan Auna, Kenta Ito, and Mia Ito.
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