Helen Sachiko Hieda Morisaki, 94

Helen Sachiko Hieda Morisaki, 94, of Los Angeles passed away surrounded by family on March 6, 2024.

“When you work, work hard. When you play, play hard.”

Unyieldingly caring, protective and ambitious, Helen (Sachiko) was forever passionate about her six children. Always giving them what she never had herself growing up, she tirelessly pursued the best education, best opportunities and best of everything for her three daughters and three sons. This meant, for example, years of formal music lessons, school orchestras and choirs for them whereas she drew her own deep love of music from just the occasional access to a piano and otherwise a self-taught fascination. Raised in a rustic, company-owned railroad camp, she faced many early hardships, including the loss of her father, a laborer, to illness. Suddenly she was sole caregiver for her infirm mother and young siblings, worked several jobs and postponed her own plans for years. But she eventually attended college and married her high school sweetheart, Michael (Minoru), at the grand St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Almost seven decades of marriage later, he ever gratefully credits her for having lifted their children’s soaring dreams of university educations, bold futures and having their own loving families. Her greatest and proudest accomplishment always remained her children.

Thank you, Mum. We love you and we’ll always be together.

Born April 21, 1929 on Maui, Hawaii to Kiyoshi and Kazuko Hieda, and raised in Kahului with siblings Paul Shigeo Hieda, George Isao Hieda and Amy Emiko Hieda. Attended Baldwin High School (Class of ‘47), and worked at the Maui Pineapple Company and the Blood Bank of Hawaii among other positions. Enrolled at the University of Hawaii and the City College of New York, majoring in education, and was associated with the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. She is survived by her devoted husband, Michael Minoru Morisaki, MD, JD; children Karen (Ron) Morisaki Page, Joan Morisaki, Mark (Doris) Morisaki, Michele (Luis) Montes, David (Callista) Morisaki and Matty (Kelly) Morisaki; grandchildren Luis Montes IV, David Montes, David Duncan, Joshua Morisaki, Makai Morisaki and Kanoa Morisaki; and great grandchildren Josephine Montes and Luis Montes V.