A Celebration of Love
Charles Akira Ushijima January 23, 1917 - December 21, 2018
Alice Toshimi Ushijima January 14, 1926 - December 30, 2018
Charles Akira Ushijima was born on January 23, 1917 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was the third oldest of eight children, and grew up in the rural Makua Valley on Oahu. He had many fond memories of his childhood in the country -walking to school with musubi wrapped in newspaper for lunch, catching fish on the beach for his mom to cook, and running up the mountain with his brothers.
Alice Toshimi Yoshioka wαs born on January 14, 1926 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was the second youngest of eight children, and loved to play and work outside on the family flower farm, trading chores with her sisters to get out of the kitchen. After graduating from high school, her job was delivering flowers to the florist shops around town, including one a few doors down from the vegetable store that Charlie had recently opened.
They were married on June 16, 1950 and moved to Los Angeles to run a Hαwαiian juice stand. Things didn't work out as expected in Los Angeles, and they decided to visit other parts of the mainland before returning to Hawaii.
They visited New York and Chicago, and ended up staying in Chicago for the next 24 years! They worked at various jobs there, but the most memorable was the tofu-ya that they ran for 7 years. Their two sons, Paul and Henry, were born in Chicago, and they remember many fun times growing up down the street from Wrigley Field, poker nights
with Charlie and Alice's friends, and Hawaii cousins visiting for holiday breaks from college.
In 1974, Charlie and Alice decided it was time to move back to Hawaii and they decided to settle on the Big Island instead of Oαhu. They bought a house in Hilo, but ended up finding work on the other side of the island, so for the next 30 years, they lived and worked on the Kona side, and drove to their Hilo home on the weekends. First they
worked at Kawamata Farms growing flowers and tomatoes, and then on the Irvine estate, taking care of the house αnd grounds.
During this time, they were blessed with the addition of two daughters-in-Iaw, Peggy (married to paul) and Aileen (married to Henry), and four grandkids, Christy, Ellen, Timothy and Carolyn. The grandkids have many fun memories of visiting the estate, playing on the zipline and giant trampoline, feeding Lenny the pig, swimming in the private cove, and watching the sunset from the deck.
Finally, Charlie and Alice semi-retired to live and work with their friends the Kawamatas again, doing light housework, taking care of the trees and plants in the greenhouse, and
"talking storγ" in the evenings.
In 2008, Chαrlie and Alice retired for good, and moved back to their home in Hilo, where they enjoyed early morning walks along the waterfront, watching the sun rise, eating papaya and mangoes from the local farmers market, and frequenting Ken's House of Pancakes.
Although they loved Hawaii, in 2014 they decided it was time to make one last move to California, to live their final years close to their sons. They settled into an assisted living
home in Los Angeles, and enjoyed going for car rides and visiting with family, both in person and via FaceTime.
Whether they were marveling at the number of cars on the freewαy, going on a trip to the ocean or mountains, or eating their favorite foods (sushi, sashimi, and ribs), every outing was an adventure. They often reflected on their life-the good times, the hard work, the many experiences αnd people they had known-and expressed great thankfulness for all of it.
On December 21 , 2018, Charlie passed away quietIy in his sleep. After a tearful goodbye and a few days in the hospital due to various heαIth issues, Alice passed away on December 30, 2018. Although they were not religious for most of their lives, they both showed evidence of genuine saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in their last days, and
we rejoice that they are now at home with Him in the eternal Paradise, where there will "no longer be αny death…mourning, or crying, or pain" (Revelation 21:4).
Obituary
USHIJIMA, CHARLES AKIRA (101), passed away on December 21, 2018 in Encino, CA. He is survived by his sons, Paul (Peggy) and Henry Ushijima; grandchildren, Christy (Kevin) Nishinaga, Ellen, Timothy, and Carolyn Ushijima; brother, Tetsuro Ushijima; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives.
A private memorial service was held on Friday, January 18, 2019 at the Memorial Chapel of Kubota Mortuary, with Pastor Chris Gee from Grace Community Church officiating. Family requests no Koden or floral gifts.
USHIJIMA, ALICE TOSHIMI (92), passed away on December 30, 2018 in Encino, CA. She is survived by her sons, Paul (Peggy) and Henry Ushijima; grandchildren, Christy (Kevin) Nishinaga, Ellen, Timothy, and Carolyn Ushijima; sister, Betty Ishida; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives.
A private memorial service was held on Friday, January 18, 2019 at the Memorial Chapel of Kubota Mortuary, with Pastor Chris Gee from Grace Community Church officiating. Family requests no Koden or floral gifts.
Comments