Satoru Abe's Obituary
Satoru Abe Obituary
Satoru Abe, age 98 years old, passed away peacefully in his sleep in Honolulu, Hawai’i on 4 February 2025. Satoru attended McKinley High School and The Art Student’s League in NYC. While attending classes there, he meet his wife, Ruth Aiko Tanji. They married and returned to Hawai’i in 1950. He was a member of the Metcalf Chateau group and in 1956 returned to NYC to start his career as a sculpture and painter. Known mostly for his sculptures, he joined the Sculpture Center in NYC and went on to create many pieces, now housed in museums and private collections. He was awarded the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in 1963. He returned to Hawai’i in 1970, after being awarded an Artist-in-Residence grant in Waianae, Hi. While living in Makaha he continued to do outdoor sculptures and tended to his garden with Ruth and their numerous German Shepherd dogs. He completed “Volcano”, a piece that now resides in front of Aloha Stadium. Satoru was commissioned granite sculptures, floor designs, and laser engravings at the Honolulu Airport. He had solo exhibitions at The Contemporary Museum, Gallery EAS, Saks Fifth Avenue, First Hawaiian Center, The UH Art Gallery, and HoMA. Awarded numerous commissions by the State of Hawaii on Oahu and the other islands, he never forgot the generosity of those around him. And in turn, was an ardent supporter of upcoming artists. Generous with his time and presence, he will be missed by all who have known and talked to him. Satoru is predeceased by his wife, Ruth in 2001 and survived by, daughter, Gail Goto (Fred), 2 grandsons: Donovan Goto (Junghyun Lee), and Dylan Goto (Marissa Chow), and a younger brother, Robert Abe (Reiko). A Memorial Service will be held at the Mililani Memorial Park & Mortuary, Mauka Chapel on Saturday, 9 August 2025. Visitation is 9:30am to 11:00am. Service begins at 11:00am. In lieu of monetary contributions, the family requests that attendees write a personal message about Satoru. You may prepare a card on your own in advance or write your message on note cards provided at the service.These will remain a significant keepsake for the family.
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