Obituary for Tadashi Nagamori
Tadashi Nagamori
Tadashi (Tad) Nagamori died peacefully at Oakview Place on Friday, January 20, 2023. Tad leaves to cherish his memory his children Jerry (June Hawkes), Beverly, Holly, Candy (Darren Cooper), Cindy (Stefan Jonasson), and son-in-law Peter Lehmann; grandchildren David Nagamori (Toni), Jessica Nagamori (Michael Mendres), Melanie Storvick, Arthur Cain, Robert Cain, Leah Cooper (Joseph Boulet), Brandis Jonasson (Mitchell Martinez), and Heather Jonasson (Matthew Wall); great-grandchildren Zoe, Brooke, Tadashi, and Mackenzie Nagamori, Landon and Grayson Mendres; sisters Faye Hashimoto and Lily Hosaki; sister-in-law Pat Ariza; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Hanaye (Bunny) Nagamori, his parents, Masajiro and Tsuya Nagamori (née Yoshikawa); his daughter, Kathy; son-in-law, Art Cain; brothers Masatoshi, Seido, and Ray; sisters Mary Watkins and Ruby Oye; and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
Tad was born on February 21, 1924, at New Westminister, BC, and grew up on his parents’ mixed farm in the Kennedy neighbourhood of North Delta. In 1942, the family was forcibly displaced from their home by the government and relocated to Manitoba, where Tad worked as a farm labourer in Headingley, Prairie Grove, Carey, St. Eustache, and St. Charles, in addition to working in lumber camps in the winter.
Tad married Hanaye (Bunny) Eyemoto on November 18, 1950, and the extended Nagamori family moved to St. James in 1952, where they lived at 29 Deer Lodge Place (originally 161 Lyle Street). Tad remained in this home until the last few months of his life, maintaining a beautiful yard and garden that added to the beauty of the neighbourhood.
Following the war, Tad worked as an auto body mechanic at Ft. Rouge Auto Body, Winnipeg Motors (later Park Pontiac), and Dominion Motors. He enjoyed an active retirement until only a few years ago when he became increasingly housebound. An outdoorsman by nature, he walked extensively and sometimes covered as much as 30 kilometres a day, keenly observing his surroundings as he went. He looked like an old-world sage with his long white hair, flowing beard, and handmade walking sticks, and he was a familiar sight to many as he made his way around the city. He was a master gardener and gifted woodcarver with an endless curiosity about the natural world. He dabbled in painting and calligraphy, ceramics and other crafts.
A few years ago, wartime letters Tad had written were found among a collection of correspondence presented to the University of British Columbia. They reflect the everyday aspirations of Tad and 17 other young Japanese Canadians who were interned during the Second World War. The letters resulted in a CBC Radio documentary in 2018, and, last year, the collection was added to the UNESCO Canada Memory of the World Register. Tad was the last surviving correspondent.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, May 7, at 2:00 p.m., at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, 180 McPhillips Street. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice, if family and friends so desire.
Tadashi (Tad) Nagamori died peacefully at Oakview Place on Friday, January 20, 2023. Tad leaves to cherish his memory his children Jerry (June Hawkes), Beverly, Holly, Candy (Darren Cooper), Cindy (Stefan Jonasson), and son-in-law Peter Lehmann; grandchildren David Nagamori (Toni), Jessica Nagamori (Michael Mendres), Melanie Storvick, Arthur Cain, Robert Cain, Leah Cooper (Joseph Boulet), Brandis Jonasson (Mitchell Martinez), and Heather Jonasson (Matthew Wall); great-grandchildren Zoe, Brooke, Tadashi, and Mackenzie Nagamori, Landon and Grayson Mendres; sisters Faye Hashimoto and Lily Hosaki; sister-in-law Pat Ariza; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Hanaye (Bunny) Nagamori, his parents, Masajiro and Tsuya Nagamori (née Yoshikawa); his daughter, Kathy; son-in-law, Art Cain; brothers Masatoshi, Seido, and Ray; sisters Mary Watkins and Ruby Oye; and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
Tad was born on February 21, 1924, at New Westminister, BC, and grew up on his parents’ mixed farm in the Kennedy neighbourhood of North Delta. In 1942, the family was forcibly displaced from their home by the government and relocated to Manitoba, where Tad worked as a farm labourer in Headingley, Prairie Grove, Carey, St. Eustache, and St. Charles, in addition to working in lumber camps in the winter.
Tad married Hanaye (Bunny) Eyemoto on November 18, 1950, and the extended Nagamori family moved to St. James in 1952, where they lived at 29 Deer Lodge Place (originally 161 Lyle Street). Tad remained in this home until the last few months of his life, maintaining a beautiful yard and garden that added to the beauty of the neighbourhood.
Following the war, Tad worked as an auto body mechanic at Ft. Rouge Auto Body, Winnipeg Motors (later Park Pontiac), and Dominion Motors. He enjoyed an active retirement until only a few years ago when he became increasingly housebound. An outdoorsman by nature, he walked extensively and sometimes covered as much as 30 kilometres a day, keenly observing his surroundings as he went. He looked like an old-world sage with his long white hair, flowing beard, and handmade walking sticks, and he was a familiar sight to many as he made his way around the city. He was a master gardener and gifted woodcarver with an endless curiosity about the natural world. He dabbled in painting and calligraphy, ceramics and other crafts.
A few years ago, wartime letters Tad had written were found among a collection of correspondence presented to the University of British Columbia. They reflect the everyday aspirations of Tad and 17 other young Japanese Canadians who were interned during the Second World War. The letters resulted in a CBC Radio documentary in 2018, and, last year, the collection was added to the UNESCO Canada Memory of the World Register. Tad was the last surviving correspondent.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, May 7, at 2:00 p.m., at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, 180 McPhillips Street. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice, if family and friends so desire.