Hanako Konishi's Obituary
Hanako Konishi was born in Oso Flaco, California on September 2, 1918. Hanako was the third of 4 children of Uichi and Utako Fukuto. Hanako, affectionately known as “Hankie”, had three sisters Emiko, Yuriko and Tsukiko. The family moved to neighboring Santa Maria where she attended school until graduating from Santa Maria High School in 1936. During her junior high school years, however, upon the divorce of her parents, she and her eldest sister Emiko lived with their father and relatives in Buena Park, California. Upon their father’s death they returned to Santa Maria to join their sisters and mother. Hanako often reminisced about her life in Santa Maria, speaking fondly about her sisters, friends and neighbors. Around 1937, Emiko, her eldest sister, married Al Obayashi and moved to San Diego. Missing Emiko so much the entire family of 4 moved to San Diego to be near her. Yuri soon after fell in love and married Al’s younger brother Bill. Hankie and her younger sister “Tsuki” worked waitressing at the Obayashi’s family restaurant, The Sun Cafe. Their mother Utako continued her seamstress work. During WWII, Hankie and the family initially were sent to Santa Anita Racetrack and then were interned to Poston, AZ. Everyone was eventually able to leave Poston and they spent the remaining war years employed as farm help and restaurant workers. Upon the end of the war the family returned to San Diego. At the age of 29, single and having never been kissed, Hankie had pretty much given up on the prospect of marriage. Hankie, however, soon met a fisherman “with muscles” named Don Daijiro Konishi and fell in love. They were married in San Diego on December 23, 1947. She gave birth to her first son, Brian Don, in 1951 and Anthony Scott, in 1952. Hankie continued to be a homemaker until the late 60’s when she returned to her waitressing, this time at Al’s new restaurant, Miyako on Pacific Highway. She worked the lunch hours and was always home in time to make dinner for the family. She is survived by her children Brian Konishi (D-Ann) and Scott Konishi (Sal Bonnello). She leaves 3 grandchildren: Brian Glenn Konishi (Lorena), Mathew Konishi (Asuka), and Andrea Konishi-Castro (Henry), and 5 great grandchildren: Taylor Konishi, Yuta Konishi, Connor Konishi, Ami Konishi and Chloe Castro. Hanako has gone to join her beloved husband “Dodgie”. We will all always remember her as a devoted Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother, Sister and Friend.
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