Obituary

Yoshiko Sekiguchi, 79, passed away peacefully on April 21, 2016 after a sudden and unexpected recurrence of gastric cancer. Yoshiko was born in Nagoya and spent her childhood and early adult years in Japan. She studied ikebana, winning several awards. After a brief time spent modeling for TV and magazine print ads, she joined her husband in Chicago in 1965 to make a new life there, raising three daughters and adopting new hobbies, such as tennis. She was a gifted athlete and a fierce but good-natured competitor. Often admired for her great beauty and remarkable taste in fashion, she designed bespoke tennis wear and spent many years as an assistant alterations manager at a designer boutique, where she gained a devoted clientele. Her beauty and grace never faded—but was only heightened—as she aged. She loved making people happy, and entertained frequently at her home in Highland Park. A world traveler, she made many trips to Japan and across Europe, yet her favorite place to refresh her soul was a tiny, pine-studded island in Michigan, where she spent many happy vacations and weekends with her family. She was a loving and caring mother and a doting grandmother; her face lighting up every time she saw her three grandchildren. She led by example, and was always charming, gracious, kind and morally pure. Her spirit touched a great many people, and she will be missed.

She is survived by her husband Yoshi Sekiguchi, sister Tomiko Salzman, daughters Risa, Chika and Juri Sekiguchi, sons-in-law Kirk Vuillemot, Tom Daniel, Tom McCampbell and grandchildren Ellie, Aidan and Kiyumi. Memorial ceremony on May 10, 2016 at the Midwest Buddhist Temple, 435 West Menomonee Street, Chicago. Visitation: 5:00 pm, Ceremony: 6:00 pm, Memorial Reception: 7:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Midwest Buddhist Temple in memory of Yoshiko Sekiguchi.