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Memorial Keepers(1)
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Debbie Shimizu
Tom's Daughter
Tom Tamotsu Shimizu
December 30th, 1932 - July 4th, 2020
December 30th, 1932 - July 4th, 2020
Forever in our hearts and always in our thought and minds
Announcement to Family and Friends: It is with our deepest sorrow that we inform you of the passing of our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Tom Shimizu.
At age 87, Tom passed peacefully in his sleep on the morning of July 4th, 2020. He will be missed, but never forgotten and always in our hearts.
Thank you for being a part of Tom's life and for being there for him when he needed the support of his friends and family. Due to the COVID-19, we decided to not have a memorial service. Instead, we would like you to post a story, comment or photo about Tom on this site.
- Use the "Write a Tribute" box at the bottom of the profile page to post text
- Select "Momentos", then click "Add" to upload a photo or video.
- If you're not up to posting anything, please enter your name into the "Tribute" box so we know you visited.
- If you run into any problems, Or have any questions, please contact divadebbie@me.com
The background art above (of the Tigers Playing) was painted by Tom and pictures of Tom's Art is posted at the bottom of the photos page.
With much love,
Rae, Debbie, Stacey, Mitchell and Madison
Tom's Biography
Tom was born on December 30th, 1932. He was the 8th child out of 9. He lost his father, his oldest brother and sister when he was a young child.
In 1942 to 1945, Tom and his entire family was sent to an internment camp in Rohwer, AR, where they lived for 3 years. Tom went to Lowell High School in San Francisco and graduated in January of 1952.
After high school, he went into the US Air Force and in 1955 he graduated from the US Air Force Air University as an Electronics Officer.
From 1955-1958, Tom attended UC Berkley and graduated with an Associates of Arts degree.
1958 - 1962 - He Went to work for RCA and also did some work for the Air Force. He lived in London, Japan and Paris. (These years are a little fuzzy. I found some photos of my dad and some Italian lady it looked like they were dating, but when I asked who she was, he didn't say much and this was before he met my mom, so she didn't know much about him during this time)
Tom came back to San Francisco sometime during 1962. My mom said she met Tom and within the same year, at the end of October, they got married. Takumi Takeda served as his best man, and Barney Hata, Mitch Fukuda and Ted Amino served as his ushers.
To be continued..there's too much that he did. Need to condense it down.
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Tributes
Share a favorite memory, send condolences, and honor Tom’s life with a heartfelt message.
Sandy Darius Heller
I have known Tom and Rae for at least 40 years, possibly even more. My husband, Mike and I moved to Danville 20 years ago and I may have seen Tom a couple of times over the last many years. I have seen Rae a few times since moving to Danville, in fact, just saw her yesterday and learned of Tom's passing. It brought back the memory of Tom offering to shape a lovely Japanese Maple in our backyard when we lived in Walnut Creek. He cut and he cut and he cut and I thought he had ruined the darn tree. It turned out that the tree was beautifully shaped and it looked wonderful when it grew out the next season. It always had a wonderful shape since Tom pruned it. Thank you Tom and Rae for your friendship over these many years.
Eizo And Mary Kobayashi
So how do we best remember Tom: - As a San Francisco Baron during his teens he was competitive and dedicated - As a Walnut Creek resident, he was co-president of the Diablo Chapter of JACL, articulate, outspoken, committed, a leader - As a family man, he was a good husband and parent. Although he and Rae endured many years of ups and downs, one thing was certain- he loved his wife and family to the end. - As a friend, he was fiercely competitive whatever the activity, like bridge or folk dancing, and was never satisfied being second best - As a lover of nature he spent countless hours nurturing his vast collection of bonsai trees. Tom has left a lasting imprint on everyone he touched and he will be missed! Eizo and Mary Kobayashi
Gerry & Petra Toriumi
Tom was a wonderful warm person. We will miss him more in the years yet to come. He always seemed to see the bright side of life, and we especially miss the family gatherings he and Rae hosted at Thanksgiving; the event helped us to bond as a family and remind us of our roots. May you rest in peace.
The Morgan's
Tom was our neighbor for 20 years. We feel so fortunate to have had him in our lives. He always had a smile and a kind word for everyone. And his artwork is fabulous. He was a warm and caring person. We miss you Tom.
Grace Hikido
Uncle Tom was a quiet, kind, gentle person. He was always so dedicated to his family. He loved them very much. He built a beautiful home that became the hub for many memorable get togethers for families and friends. I have so many great memories of all the holidays hosted at the house, One of my favorite is mochi making. We use to get together with the Shimizu side of the family every year before New Years. Uncle Tom and his brothers would be in charge of making the mochi and we would line up covered in potatoe starch ready for the hot fresh mochi to form them into round disk. I had such a great time. I learned the tradition from the Shimizu family and now it has become tradition for myself and my husband's family. Uncle Tom was so talented. He taught me passion. His paintings, bonsai, Faberge Eggs, Macrame plant hangers, many other hobbies he created were so perfect and professional. You can see all the heart and soul he put into his work. All that creativity was so natural for him too. I was always so impressed. Uncle Tom loved adventure. Thank you for introduced me to camping and teaching me how to ski. We even went on a Kodiak in the ocean of Maui to go snorkeling and I almost flew off the side of the high speed raft. That was so scary, but so much fun! I'll miss you Uncle Tom. I know you will always be with us in spirit and in our heart. Thank you all the wonderful memories. Love You!
Tyler S Morgan
Tom was my neighbor for close to 15 years growing up. He was a kind soul who always took care of the neighborhood kids and brought the whole neighborhood together. I am grateful and thankful that I got to know Tom in my life and will dearly miss his warm laugh and smile. Rest in peace Tom
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