Namie Y. Naito's Obituary
Namie Y. Naito
March 6, 1931 – July 31, 2025
Namie passed away peacefully at her home in San Leandro, California, listening to the morning birds outside her bedroom window. She was 94.
She is survived by her children Stephanie Naito, Barton Naito (Wendy Samiljan), Tina Naito (Rocky Medeiros); her grandchildren Daniel Naito (Eliza Bell), Matthew Medeiros, Emily Naito (Kellen McDonnell) and Mason Medeiros. She is also survived by her brother Louie Yamanishi (Irene), brother-in-law Henry Yamaoka, sisters-in-law Sy Yamanishi, Emi Yamanishi, Amy E. Naito, Amy Naito and Nana Naito, and many nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband Shig Naito, daughter Ellen Naito, parents Tadao and Asayo Yamanishi; sisters Kikuno Yoshizaki and Helen Yamaoka; brothers Akiji and Ray Yamanishi; father- and mother-in-law Shigeo and Tsuru Naito; and numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law.
Namie was born and raised in San Juan Bautista, California, on the Yamanishi family farm, growing garlic, peppers, tomatoes, sugar beets and other row crops. She attended elementary school in San Juan before briefly moving to Tadanoumi, Hiroshima prefecture in Japan, where she completed second and third grade. The family returned to the US in the late 1930s.
During World War II, her family was sent to the Salinas Assembly Center and then to the Poston II War Relocation Authority (WRA) camp in Arizona. Her father was separately interned in Santa Fe and Lordsburg, New Mexico. The family was reunited at Poston before returning to San Juan Bautista after the war. With no home on their land, they stayed at the Japanese Social Hall with other families, then moved temporarily to Moss Landing, where her father worked on a farm there. They later built a house and settled permanently on the farm off of San Juan-Hollister Highway, where the Yamanishi farm still operates today.
Namie graduated from San Benito High School and attended UC Berkeley, working as a live-in housekeeper to support her studies. She was happy when her second placement, with the Dean of Women, was much closer to campus, allowing her to walk to classes. After graduating with a BA in Business, she worked as a bookkeeper in Salinas. Later, she accepted a position as the Manager of the Glove department at Emporium-Capwell in San Francisco and moved to the City. She left her job after marrying Shig Naito in 1958, and they made their home across the bay in San Leandro.
Together, Shig and Namie raised four children, and Namie was an active church and PTA member, room mother, classroom volunteer and devoted mom… tirelessly driving her kids to years and years of swim team & basketball practices, church activities, music lessons and school events. When her youngest daughter entered school, Namie returned to work part-time as a bookkeeper at Deaton Fountain Service, and eventually retired from Allergan Humphrey.
Namie loved traveling—with Shig, with her siblings, and with her children—whether it was a quick trip to Reno with friends or international adventures to Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Europe, China, or Portugal.
She was a longtime member of the Eden Township JACL, Buddhist Church of Oakland, Oakland Buddhist Women’s Association, Ashland Howakai, and Wanto Hiroshima Nikkeijin Kai.
Namie will be dearly missed by all who knew her. A memorial service will be held at the Buddhist Church of Oakland, 825 Jackson Street, on Saturday, August 9, at 11:00 a.m.
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