Rev. David Keiichi Shigekawa, 78, will have a Celebration of Life memorial service on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at the Mission Valley Free Methodist Church, 1201 S. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel, CA, at 10:00 A.M. Rev. David Shigekawa was the youngest of seven children born to Rev. Yoshimasa and Umeko Shigekawa in Anaheim, CA and went to be with his Lord and Master on May 13, 2010 after a lengthy battle with cancer, including years of remission. He overcame major surgeries and chemotherapy treatments, and valiantly bounced back from numerous complications and repeated hospitalization.
Rev. Shigekawa traveled with his family from Anaheim to Glendale, AZ, Gallup, NM, and Fowler, CA and where his father ministered to Issei agricultural communities. During WWII, the family was interned at Poston, AZ from 1942 to 1945 from their home in Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Free Methodist Church. Life as a PK (pastor's kid) meant he often accompanied his parents on home visitations and helped in the church. Two years at Fresno State College preceded attendance at Pasadena Nazarene College where he met Nancy Arakaki of Hawaii, his future wife of 56 years. Seminary at the Berkeley Baptist Divinity School occurred during a two-year break as English Division pastor at the Anaheim Free Methodist Church. On his return to Anaheim, he led the congregation in property purchase and construction of the original sanctuary. As pastor of the East Bay Free Methodist church he helped to consolidate two congregations in Berkeley, later he was called to lead the Los Angeles Free Methodist Church in 1974. After an arsonist fire of that church, he helped to establish and construct the current Mission Valley Free Methodist in San Gabriel where he served and retired in 1997 after 37 years of service in many churches. Rev. Shigekawa also served as the Superintendent of the Free Methodist Conference for several years. He was also an active member of the Bella Vista Optimist Club for many years as its chaplain.
After his retirement from vocational ministry, he found his new "ministry" ground in enjoying, nurturing and caring for his grandchildren, Erin (7), Dylan (4) and Ashlyn (1). His primary focus became spending time playing with and tending to the hearts of his youngest family members as he lived out God's word on a daily basis with them.
During his free time, he enjoyed playing golf, doing word searches, and watching a wide variety of sports on TV or in person. He loved gardening and fixing things up around the house – his own, as well as his daughter's. A jack-of-all trades, he could figure out and fix or build most anything and was known for his creative methods of organization around the home and garage. Organized by nature, this attention to detail carried over in all areas of his life, including an amazing ability to remember the names of everyone he met as well as all the details about their lives, even years later. Even to the end, he never lost his sharp memory or ability to articulate the minutest detail.
Rev. Shigekawa is survived by his wife, Nancy, daughter and son-in-law, Wendy & Derek Okada, three grandchildren, Erin, Dylan and Ashlyn. Of his six siblings, John (Elizabeth) Shigekawa and Miko (Rev. Carl) Yoshimine survive, as well as many nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews. The Shigekawa family served faithfully in the ministry with his father and brothers-in-law, Rev. Dan Shinoda, Rev. Carl Yoshimine and niece Rev. Gail Yoshimine, as well as Rev. David Shigekawa.
A graveside service at Rose Hills Memorial Park will be held at 2:30 P.M., following the service and refreshments.