Personal History

Here is the "Personal History" I wrote and read at the ceremony:

Shizuko Hayashi Personal History

7/25/2010

Shizuko Hayashi was born in Los Angeles, California on September 4th, 1915 to Katsuzo and Mitsu Shiraishi. Her parents were immigrants from Japan. When she was a child, her father sent her to Japan to receive a proper education. While staying with relatives, Shizuko excelled in school receiving excellent grades.

She married Roy Ikutaro Hayashi in 1933 and returned back to the United States. They lived in Glendale during the early part of their marriage. They had three children together including Arthur Toru, Tom Masaru, and Kiyoko. During World War II, the family was relocated to camp Manzinar. They lived in Lancaster and Palmdale before settling in Santa Monica after the war.

Shizuko was a devoted mother and housewife. She devoted herself to raising her three children and working as a domestic. The family resided in Santa Monica for 55 years, during which time she was a member of the West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple. Her sons and daughter gave her eight grandchildren: Dale, Dean, Lynn, Leslie, Brian, David, Akiko, and Keiko.

Shizuko was a skilled seamstress and made many clothes for her family over the years. She was a very social person who had many friends. She enjoyed travelling. Shizuko visited Europe with her husband and went to Hawaii with friends. She liked to bring items back from each travel destination to commemorate each trip. She was particularly fond of cats. She also took pleasure in watching Japanese movies and reading Japanese books and magazines. She was very involved with the West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple for years. Those who were close to her referred to her as “Susie”.