SAN FRANCISCO — Daisy Uyeda Satoda passed away peacefully at her home in San Francisco,bapa rogol anak malayu lucah surrounded by family, on Dec. 31, 2023. She was 96.
Born on Aug. 15, 1927 in Watsonville, she was the sixth of 12 children. Satoda was 14 when her family was unjustly incarcerated in the Topaz concentration camp in Utah during World War II.
She and her classmates spent their entire high school years behind barbed wire and as a result, the Topaz High School Class of 1945 formed a unique bond. She was instrumental in organizing class activities, including over 30 reunions since 1970.
Satoda settled in San Francisco after the war. She attended college and worked for the Red Cross and then the Japanese American Citizens League, where she met Yone Satoda. They married in 1961, and had three children. She was active in the children’s schooling, sporting and scouting functions, but always found time for crossword puzzles, soap operas and baking.
Satoda was also active in community organizations including the National Japanese American Historical Society, Japanese American National Library and Nikkei & Retirement, where she provided public relations, fundraising and event planning. She loved writing and her work appears in five published anthologies which focus on Japanese American experiences and the wartime incarceration.
She loved Hawaii, where she and her husband vacationed annually for 30 years. She also enjoyed visiting Paris and Japan.
“We will miss her presence, wit and style,” her family said in a statement.
Predeceased by her husband Yone in 2017, she is survived by her children, Caroline (Elbert Suen), Nancy and David (Allie); grandsons, Christopher, David Jr. (Marie), Nicholas, Tyler and Timothy; sister, Juneko (Tom) Sugihara; and many nieces and nephews. A private service was held.