Tomie Miyake Takeuchi

As we look at our lives, we realize that many people have influenced us, but the one who made the most positive and lasting impression on us was our mother, Tomie Miyake Takeuchi. 

Born in 1913 into the very restricted world of the Japanese-American female, she stepped off the traditional path and made her own way. She graduated with an R.N. degree from the Columbia School of Nursing and served as the Assistant Supervisor of Surgery at Columbus Hospital in Seattle, Washington. She studied piano, the Japanese koto, and was a lifelong learner. She walked to a different beat: she was a “modern woman” in a traditional world.

When she did marry and have a family, she was forced to raise us in the Japanese concentration camp in Idaho. In this difficult situation, she managed to create a positive and interesting world for us. She encouraged high goals, provided support for us to do our best, gave us the strength to follow our dreams, and instilled confidence and courage to “look around the corner.”

Tomie went back to school while in her sixties to become re-certified as a nurse. She worked part time at Gresham Community Hospital. Her philosophy was her lifestyle: to live life fully; to reach out, explore, and continue to learn; and to get involved and speak out on issues.

Our mother was, and is, an inspiration to us. She was perhaps the first “feminist” we knew. Her philosophies and approach to life guide our lives today. Thanks, Mom. We’ll always move forward and eagerly look around each bend.

Written by her loving children: Sylvia, Tomiko, Diane, and Tom