Richard S. Watada's Obituary
Richard S. Watada Dec. 21, 1923 – Feb. 26, 2012 Richard passed away peacefully in his Berkeley home on Feb. 26, 2012 after a short illness. At his bedside were Rose, his beloved wife of over 51 years, daughters Marianne and Julia, son Richard, daughter and son in-laws Kimi and Al, and cherished grandchildren, Jordan, Kayli, Ryan, Matthew, and Brenden. He passed with the same quiet strength that he exhibited in life. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Richard and his family were uprooted during WW II and relocated to the Amache Internment Camp in CO. In 1944, he volunteered to fight in France and Italy with the highly decorated US Army 442nd Regimental Combat Team. For his courageous efforts, he was awarded a Bronze Star and Congressional Gold Medal. After the war, Richard settled in Berkeley where he earned a Masters degree from UC Berkeley in architecture. He practiced architecture in the Bay Area until his retirement in 1991. A memorial service will be held at 11am, on Friday, March 16th, at the Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave, Oakland. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Vitas Hospice Charitable Fund, Foundation for End-of-Life Care, 365 Lennon Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, or www.vitascharity fund.org.
What’s your fondest memory of Richard?
What’s a lesson you learned from Richard?
Share a story where Richard's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Richard you’ll never forget.
How did Richard make you smile?