JAMES H. TAKANO

James H. Takano, DDS, MSD passed on June 4, 2023. Jim was born on July 24, 1926, in Bellevue, WA, where he spent his early years working on the family farm. He was then forced to move to Tule Lake and Heart Mountain Incarceration camps during WW II.

After the war, Jim studied at the University of Washington, and in 1955, he graduated at the top of his class with a degree in Dentistry. After graduation, Jim enlisted in the US Army as a dentist and was stationed at Fort Carson, CO. There he developed a love for skiing and golfing, achieving a single-digit handicap.

Jim eventually received his Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) in 1961. He and his brother William then practiced orthodontia together in the Medical Dental Building in Seattle for many years, serving many families in the community. When William passed, Jim took over his patients as well, and then retired in 1996.

In 1980 Jim married Tsukiyo Ondo (Tanino), who preceded him in death in 2011.

An avid golfer, “Jungle” (as he was affectionately called by his friends), was a member of the Meridian Valley Golf Club, Puget Sound, and Bayview Golf Clubs. He continued playing golf well into his nineties with Jean Deguchi and many other friends.

Jim is survived by several nephews: Steve and David Fujiki, Danny (Marcella) Takano and son Max, and Michael Takano and son William. Also mourning Jim are Tsukiyo’s children, Ellen Kennewick (Richard), Haru Pollock (Larry), and Tim Ondo (Megumi), as well as many grandchildren and friends.

A private family service at Sunset Hills Memorial Park was held in July. In remembrance, charitable donations may be made to the Nisei Veterans Committee, University of Washington Department of Orthodontics, University of Washington School of Dentistry, or the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple in Seattle.