James Morikawa's Obituary
We are grateful for the many phone calls, texts, prayers, notes and email received from you over these past few weeks as we remember our dad & papa James Minoru Morikawa. Jimmy as he was known was born in Honolulu on January 26, 1934. He has one brother, Kazu and 5 sisters: Irene, Shichan, Doris, Betty and Margaret (Yoshika) Aunty Doris said that he was the “first boy born after 5 girls so was treated royally! “ In his later years he enjoyed traveling with Kazu to Temecula, CA to visit Faith (sister Irenes daughter) and her husband Frank. They went to the Indian Casinos and sightseeing together. Uncle Kazu used to visit dad at his house with Musashi, his dog who did not get along with Mia (dads dog) but that was ok because both brothers got along really well. Kazu was able to see dad at Aloha Care on his last day. He said he misses dad, his older brother by 8 years and was glad he got to see him before he died.
At home, Dad loved to watch football and baseball (of all the players from Japan, Otani of the Angels was his favorite ) on tv, but his favorite sport was betting on the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Dad and mom enjoyed going to Las Vegas together and enjoyed the food and the gaming- especially video poker where he got his Royal flush more than once. He looked forward to the sea food buffet at the Oyster Bar, playing the slots with Benny at the Orleans and playing video poker at the Main Street Station/California hotels often with mom. He and mom looked forward to seeing the hostesses at the Main Street/California hotels and bringing them treats(manapua, chocolates, calendars and kulolo ). He loved running into people he rarely saw in Honolulu-Sho and Clara, Pat and Richard and occasionally someone from his Kaimuki High school years in Vegas. Dad loved to gamble but knew his limits, not losing his shirt or his house as we know others had done. He always talked about his winnings but we always knew when he “broke even” by his gloomy facial expressions and slumped shoulders ... even as he tried to share happy tales of whatever trip he returned from. It was on the way to Vegas on Hawaiian Air lines when he met Riley, the tour escort from Vacations Hawaii who upgraded him to first class. That plane ride where he sat next to Riley began years of friendship. That friendship widened his circle of friends to include Kekai who with his ukulele and karaoke Melodies always had a song to share. Thank you Kekai for visiting dad at home and for being with him at his bedside at Aloha Care. Dad enjoyed listening to Japanese and Hawaiian music and songs from the 50s. He sat listening to mellow music in his living room most afternoons while stroking “his dog” actually Marissas pet Mia; but in his younger days he loved dancing after having more than a few beers. I remember how much Dad loved dancing with mom. At parties, they danced sometimes til they were out of breath and could barely stand! They had a lot of fun together and on March 1 on what would have been their 68th wedding anniversary, we scattered his ashes from the same boat and at the same longitude and latitude where he scattered moms ashes two years ago. We talk about Vegas a lot but dad worked all his life. In high school he worked on a farm that raised vegetables, pigs and horses. He worked in Kalihi at Hawaiiana furniture store and at Uncle Lefty’s gas station in Liliha holding both jobs at the same time. He worked at Standard Oil from about 1968 then finally at Hawaiian Electric where he retired in 1996. From his days at Hawaiian Electric, he made some lifelong friends . He looked forward to his monthly lunches with Garett Chee, Warren, Vance...and relished his time with them. Dad worked really hard to raise his family and after he retired, I used to tell him to go do what he wanted and if it was Vegas to go first class, to eat and enjoy himself! He was pretty frugal, went economy most of the time and didn’t spend a lot on himself so flying first class to Las Vegas was his one big enjoyment in his later years.
My dad was a fisherman and he enjoyed the ocean - shore fishing, spear fishing, pier fishing, crabbing, hunting for tako and lobster, digging for clams with the Toyookas, Shigenagas, Shimabukus, Kimuras, Nakamuras and their families. He and mom always took us along with bentos and soft drinks and beer... These are the things he loved. Mom was a great cook and could make anything taste delicious so between mom and dad we ate really well. In all he did, though, he was best at being grandpa to Nikki, Lisa, Bryan and Michael and at being papa to Ryan, Marissa, Angelina and Logan. He went to baseball, basketball and soccer games, went to judo tournaments and award ceremonies and was the Uber super taxi driver for his kids, grand kids and great grand kids. Since the 1950s he was dad, grandpa and papa, taxi driver and mr. fix it and the images of him standing outside his garage waving good bye at our cars as we left after every visit will always stay with me.
In dads last few years at home he did not drive as much and appreciated his family bringing him treats, home cooked meals and plate lunches though he really missed moms cooking. “No one,” he said, “could ever cook like her.”
To you Anty Doris, Kathy and Sandy and Aaron we are very thankful for the special meals and treats you brought him from all over the island.
So often he would not want to eat because he missed home cooking, and I just want to say a special thank you those who thought of him in their kitchen, especially: Linda, Lily, Helen, Byron and Gail O. who made stew, oxtails, Mabo tofu and long rice, jars of lemon curd, packages of cookies and mochi and soups and jars of takuan and who went way out of their way just to be sure he had something special to eat. Thank you Kekai and Helene for the sushi, manapua and hand made Lau Lau, which dad ate even when he didn’t have much of an appetite, and thank you too for making so many sweet puakinikini lei (s) and bringing them for dad and for moms picture. Thank you Norman for helping dad with Randi. Thank you Jay for coming, always at a moments notice every time tres asked you. Thank you for your visits, your pleasantries and for your 50 plus years of friendship which blessed our whole family - mom and dad especially!
My dads life was a reflection of those things and people he loved and of those people who loved him in return. Thank you for being a part of his life. Your friendship brought feelings of unconditional acceptance, your caring brought comfort and your kindness showed him how much he was loved!
In his last two days, dads breathing slowed and the moments between each gasp became longer and in dads last few minutes with us, as Lisa’s Husband swabbed his lips and teeth, dad smiled his little half smile, pressed his lips together and stopped breathing ... He celebrated 86 birthdays, one wife, 4 kids 4 grand kids and 4 great grand kids. We miss him but will hold wonderful thoughts of him, of mom and of mom with him in our memories forever... Thank you for being a part of our Ohana , for being our friends and for supporting us as we remember our dad and papa - James (Jimmy) Minoru Morikawa.
Aloha!
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