FUMIO BILL ISHIDA

Fumio Bill Ishida was born on May 19, 1938, in Seattle, WA to Kenichi and Mikiyo Ishida.   Bill was the youngest of three children with older sister Chiyeko and older brother Kazuo Jack.  The Ishida family grew up in Seattle, WA.

Soon after President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, after the start of World War II, the Ishida Family’s lives were disrupted, similar to the 120,000 other Japanese and Japanese Americans living on the mainland US.  The Ishida Family was a part of 13,000 Northwest Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans who were imprisoned in Minidoka War Relocation Center in Jerome, ID.

After the war ended, the Ishida family returned to the Seattle around 1945-1946 to start their lives again. While growing up, Bill helped with the family Japanese Main Shokudo Restaurant in Seattle’s Japan Town on 6^th and Main streets. Billy Ishida, as people used to call him, attended Garfield High School from 1953 to 1956 where he excelled in all the sports he participated in, but his passion was on the gridiron where he was an All-City Halfback on the state champion football team at Garfield High School.  Those close to Billy called him “Cheeta” because of his lightning speed.

Also, from 1953 to 1956, Billy Ishida was a part of Northwest Japanese American history as an original member or “First Herd” of the Lotus Skyliners Big Band as a drummer. The Lotus Skyliners, originally sponsored by the Seattle Buddhist Church, was a big band that helped young Japanese Americans assimilate back into society during post-war racial tensions.  They became quite popular in the Seattle community and not only performed at church dances, but business receptions, concerts, proms, weddings, anniversaries, and even bar mitzvahs.  Their highlight was in 1955 when they took a bus tour down the west coast all the way to California to perform at various events.  A book, “The Lotus Skyliners: A Big Band Lifts Up a Small Community”, was released in 2023.

After Bill graduated from high school, he enlisted in the military served in the US National Guard from 1956 to 1957.  After he completed his National Guard service, he joined the army from 1957 to 1960 where he ended his military service as a Specialist 4.

Soon after Bill became a civilian again, he decided to go to college and attended Central Washington University from 1960 to 1963 where he became a two-sport collegiate athlete in Diving and Football.  His 1963 Wildcat football team finished the year with a 9-0 record – the first undefeated football team in school history.  Bill’s 1963 football team was inducted into the Central Washington University Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

While Bill was a student at Central Washington University, he met the love of his life, Dorothy Shirozu and soon after Bill graduated with a BA degree in Art Education, Bill and Dorothy got married in Pasadena, CA on August 25, 1964.

In 1964, soon after their marriage, Bill started his career as a High School Art Teacher at Cleveland High School and Dorothy became an Elementary School teacher in the Seattle School District.  During Bill’s tenure at Cleveland High School, he also coached many sports teams such as Swimming, Diving, Soccer, Wrestling, and you guessed it, Football.  

Bill also opened a stained-glass shop in Seattle with a fellow high school teacher, Mimi Iwami.  The name of the stained-glass shop was I & I Glass Designers. Bill continued to teach, coach sports, and do stained glass until his retirement in 1992.

During their early retirement years, Bill and Dorothy enjoyed travelling with their life-long friends all over the world, from China to the Mediterranean.  Both Dorothy and Bill were avid Mariner and Seahawks fans and enjoyed watching their games.

Bill also enjoyed his retirement by spending time with his family, golfing, skiing, shooting pool, and playing in adult softball leagues.  Bill participated in the Senior Softball World Series representing Seattle, and he also competed in the National Billiards Tournament representing the state of WA showing that he still had his competitive spirit.

Bill could not retire quietly into the sunset, so he decided to go back to work part-time doing what he loved which involved sports in the Northwest.  Starting in 1995, Bill took part-time jobs for the Seattle Mariners, Seahawks, Sounders, UW sports, and Seattle concert events as an Usher and Arena Director.  He continued to work until his permanent retirement 12 years later. 

After Dorothy passed away in 2019, Bill spent time living with his three children, Mark, Crissy, and Kimi, in Florida and California, as he needed some assistance.  Bill was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2021.  It may have been caused by all the head trauma he suffered playing football during his youth, but we will never know for sure.  Bill eventually had to move to a Memory Care facility in CA in 2023 where he passed away on March 26, 2024, due to Alzheimer’s complications. 

Bill was a great husband, father, and grandfather of three grandchildren (Ryan, Scott, Ally) who always thought of others before himself and lived his life to the fullest. Everybody that knew Bill was a better person for knowing him. Bill will be truly missed by all his family and friends.

A memorial service was held on June 28, 2024, at the White River Buddhist Temple. The family wishes to extend their appreciation to the Nisei Veterans Committee and Michael Yaguchi who presented the United States flag to the Ishida family.

GEORGE YASUO YORITA

George Yorita was born on February 23, 1926, to Minosuke and Toku Yorita and passed away on April 30, 2024. George was incarcerated with his family during WWII at Minidoka concentration camp in Idaho. Like many Nisei, he did not speak much about his experiences there, but he did have stories of picking potatoes by hand for the local farmers to make money.

George was then drafted into the US army and served in Germany. After the war, George joined some of his family in Chicago. He enrolled and graduated from Loyola University and then Loyola University Dental School.

In Chicago he met and then married Janet Hirota. They moved back to Seattle where he established his dental practice in Rainier Beach. George loved dentistry and his patients. He was involved in the Seattle-King County Dental Society and was a founding member of the Northwest Asian Dental group in Seattle. He retired from his practice to care for his wife.

George and Janet raised their family in Bellevue. Their summers were filled with fishing with his buddies in the Drifter’s fishing club of Seattle and their families and golfing at Meridian Valley CC in Kent and Bermuda Dunes CC in California. George and Janet gave their children many opportunities and experiences which they carry with them today.

George was preceded in death by his wife Janet and his eleven brothers, sisters and their spouses. George leaves behind three sons Ron (Vivian), Brian (Cherie), Glenn, daughter Kayo, grandchildren Tyler (Marissa), Anthony (Lilian), Mariko, great-granddaughter Sophia and many nieces and nephews.

Remembrances may be made to the Densho Project, Wing Luke Museum, NVC Foundation, or Seattle Japanese Baptist Church.