August 28, 1933 - December 6, 2023
We sadly announce the passing of our beloved mother, Ba-chan, auntie & friend, Lillian Kinuyo Oka, on December 6, 2023 at the age of 90 years old.
Lillian was born in Sacramento, California on August 28, 1933 where her family eventually settled in Stockton, California. During World War II, Lillian’s family was gathered & relocated to the Stockton Assembly Center in 1942 along with many other Americans of Japanese descent. Her family was then transported to a Relocation/Internment Camp in Rohwer, Arkansas where they were contained until the war ended in 1945. After the war, Lillian’s family returned to California where they eventually resettled in Stockton, California, where she met the love of her life, Kiyoshi Oka. Lillian & Kiyoshi were married on November 7, 1954. They were co-owners of a local grocery store, City Market on Weber Street in downtown Stockton. They had a daughter & son who they raised & were very involved in their many activities. When her children were old enough, Lillian returned to school, entering the full-time work force where she finally settled working as an executive administrative secretary for the Superintendent of Stockton Unified School District for over 25 years. She enjoyed bowling in the Nisei League at Pacific Avenue Bowling Alley, playing mahjong & hanafuda Japanese card games with her family & closest friends. She then spent her retirement in the company of her family & friends, traveling the world & enjoying trips to local casinos & bingo halls. She was an adventurous, kind, generous & very loving person who was extremely proud of her family, especially her 3 grandchildren. She will be truly missed for all the days of our lives.
She is survived by her son, Stephen Kiyoshi Oka, daughter, Stephanie Kimiko Yamamoto & husband Leonard, grandchildren, Megan Kiyomi Yamamoto, Kyle Takeshi Yamamoto & Ian Nobu Yamamoto, niece, Sheryl Yamashita & husband Gil, nephew, Craig Matsumoto & wife Barbara plus many extended relatives & friends near & globally.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Kenichi Iwamoto & Hinayo Tanaka Iwamoto, husband, Kiyoshi Oka on 3/24/2002 at 80 years old, brothers George Okura, Tom Okura, Frank Okura, Jimmy Okura, Hank Okura, Harry Okura along with the unfortunate passing of her sister, Sachi Wakabayashi on 12/10/2023.
Lillian’s immediate family would like to give special thanks to the entire staff of Mainline Homecare for the many years of compassionate care & to the nursing staff of Suncrest Hospice for their devotion in Lillian’s final days. We would also like to thank Sheryl & Gil Yamashita for all their sacrifice & dedicated effort they put forth in assisting their aunt, our mother & Ba-chan. We also appreciate the generous assistance of her loyal friends at our time of need.
At Lillian’s request, an intimate internment service will be held in Lodi, California at the Cherokee Memorial Cemetery in the Chapel of Flowers on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 1:00 pm where Lillian will also be interned with her sister.
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Cherokee Memorial is honored to serve the Oka family.