Reiko Fujimoto's Obituary
Reiko Fujimoto Obituary
Reiko Fujimoto, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and aunty, passed away peacefully on January 24, 2022, two days after her 88th birthday.
She loved people and bringing them together. As a neighborhood piano teacher, she held annual recitals at a nearby recreation center. Upon her retirement, her final piano recital included choreographed dance numbers and hand sewn costumes for families and loved ones to enjoy. As “Grandma,” she brought joy and warmth to cold winter nights, frequently gathering her family around the dining table to enjoy delicious shabu-shabu dinners.
Born in 1934, Reiko grew up in Hiroshima, Japan. While working as a schoolteacher as well as a chapel organist and soloist in Osaka, she met her husband Frederick, an X-ray technician for the US Army. They married in 1955 and moved to Fred’s hometown in Hawaii, shortly after their son Owen was born. Their daughter Donna was born a few years later, and together, they lived a life of love and adventure on Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Oahu before settling in Mililani, where they’ve lived since 1974.
Reiko was a creative soul, and whether it be a student, grandchild, pet or aged flower from her garden, Reiko had a gift for seeing potential in everyone she met and everything she touched. Although best known for the piano, she had many artistic pursuits, including singing, dancing, Japanese doll making, gardening and sewing, and greatly enjoyed sharing those passions with her family and loved ones.
She is survived by her husband Frederick; son Owen (Yuan-Sun) Fujimoto; daughter Donna (Alan) Saka; grandchildren Amy, Michael, Emily and Kevin; numerous nieces, nephews and their families in Japan, Hawaii and the mainland, as well as a younger sister in Japan (Keiko). Her feisty and playful spirit will be greatly missed.
Private services are pending at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. In lieu of flowers or monetary gifts (koden), family and friends may contribute towards the Reiko Fujimoto Endowed Scholarship fund at the University of Hawaii Foundation to benefit deserving
piano and voice students at UH Manoa. Contributions can be made electronically by going to www.uhfoundation.org/ReikoFujimotoScholarship or by check. Checks should be made out to the “University of Hawaii Foundation” and mailed to the following address with a note saying the donation is for the “Reiko Fujimoto Scholarship Fund”:
University of Hawaii Foundation
P.O. Box 11270
Honolulu, HI 96828
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