Frank Sueo Iwashita

Frank Iwashita peacefully passed away on August 5, 2017, surrounded by his family at Sequoia Hospital. He was born in Hilo, Hawaii to Hama (Tsugawa) and Kamezo Iwashita. He was one of seven children and grew up during the Great Depression in Hilo. He is survived by his wife, Mitsuko and their three sons, Rod (Kumiko), Carl (Irene), Alan (Anne) and five grandchildren (Miya, Yuka, Audrey, Ava Kei, and Beatrice). Frank and Mitsuko lived in San Carlos for over 35 years.

Frank graduated from Hilo High School and joined the military during World War II and served his country as an interpreter in Allied-occupied Japan. At the end of his service, he attended and graduated from the University of Colorado. He worked in the Marshall Islands as a dental technician (where he witnessed nuclear tests), as a teacher in Colorado, and later moved to New York City, where he co-founded Aloha State Flowers and subsequently moved to California and bought the company outright a few years later.

Frank enjoyed golf and was a long-time member of the Century Golf Club, one of the San Francisco Bay Area Nisei golf clubs that started after World War II. He was an excellent golfer and won several tournaments and awards with the club. He spent many Wednesday afternoons with his friends playing golf at courses all over the Bay Area. After retirement, he and Mitsuko moved back to his hometown of Hilo, where they built their dream house and enjoyed many years of retirement and more golf with friends and family. They returned to the San Francisco Bay Area to be closer to their children and grandchildren in 2010.

Frank leaves behind a lifetime of good memories with his family and friends and will be greatly missed by all. He shared his love of golf with his family and gave his family all of the love and support in the world. We will remember his kind and gentle nature and respect for others.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, September 22nd at 4 pm at Palo Alto Buddhist Temple, 2751 Louis Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303.