Emiko Burke's Obituary
In Memoriam: Emiko Burke February 12, 1939 – November 14, 2016 Emiko Burke, first daughter of Yoshinobu and Kimie Yamashita, was born in Fukuoka, Japan on February 12, 1939. She passed at the age of 77 on November 14, 2016 surrounded by family and love. She is interred next to her husband at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, CA. One of 7 children – her 2 eldest brothers Kusuo and Masaru preceded her in death but she is survived by her younger siblings; sister Tomeko and brothers Tadashi, Isamu and Yoshiyuki. Being the first born daughter, Emiko learned hard work from a very early age and helped to raise and support her family. A child of WWII, she and her family never held any ill will against the ‘so-calledʼ enemy. She understood even at a young age that the people who bombed her country were only doing their war time duty, a war that was started by Japan. She had more sympathy for the people who lost their loved ones because of the Japanese and had great empathy for those who suffered under the cruelty of the Japanese military. She never reacted negatively to those who were cruel or insulting to her and instead reacted with kindness and sympathy. She would tell me that you never knew what that person had endured or is enduring and you must be understanding. She first met her true love and future husband Thomas P. Burke in 1963 in Sasebo, Japan. After a 2 year, long distance courtship they married in 1965. She proudly served as a dedicated Navy wife along side a very proud Navy husband who first joined the USN in 1953 and was a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. They continued to serve for the next 40 years where he earned numerous awards and commendations as a SKCS until he was forced to retire due to crippling back surgeries. The coupleʼs successful 40+ marriage was due in part to their love of laughter and absolute devotion to each other. She was a loyal and dedicated friend. A loving, supportive and wise mother and wife with a fantastic sense of humor. Emiko was a dedicated Buddhist who loved her family and animals. Generous to a fault and kind to all. A Japanese Proverb – Ichigo Ichie Ichigo Ichie literally means “one opportunity, one encounter”．Its better translation may be “Treasure every encounter, for it will never recur.” You should cherish each encounter as if it were a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Treat every meeting like it is the first and the last, and enjoy every encounter to the fullest because it may not come to you again. It was a philosophy she held until the day she passed.
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