KATO, Noboru

Noboru Kato (96), of Monterey Park, passed away peacefully at home, on December 31st, 2020.

Born May 24, 1924, in Iwaki-shi, Japan, he was the eldest of four brothers and three sisters and always dreamt of going to the United States. During WWII, he worked in Vietnam which made him eligible for the 1953 Refugee Relief Act that sponsored Japanese immigration to the Americas.

He married Etsuko Owada and they sailed for San Francisco in 1956, settling in Turlock. They worked for three years as chick sexers—and in off seasons, he worked as janitor, cook and fruit-picker.

In 1958, they moved to Los Angeles where Noboru worked for 15 years as a gardener. At age 48, with no knowledge of the business and limited English, he and Etsuko began managing several residential hotels in Skid Row.

He remained active in Japanese community associations, and his passions included akita dogs, koi, ballroom dancing, and travel, organizing trips to Europe, Russia, Morocco, and Egypt, climbing Machu Picchu and strolling the Great Wall of China. In his 80s, he returned to Iwaki-shi to reunite with siblings and families. His final visit was at age 90 in 2014 to view the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.

A private family service was held April 17th, 2021, at Evergreen Cemetery, officiated by Bishop Noriaki Ito of Higashi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple.

Predeceased by Etsuko, wife of 65 years, he is survived by daughter Amy E. Kato (John Esaki), sons Gary, David (Mai) Kato and grandchildren, Mia, Audrey and Cody, and by younger brother, Shohachiro Kato, nieces and nephews in Japan. www.fukuimortuary.com

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