Lilyan Kaoru Hirohama passed away on February 22, 2026 in Stanton, California, at the age of 96.

She is survived by her daughter, Janis (James Pollard), and son, David; family friend, Joycelyn Caparas; and sister, Pauline Hayakawa. She is also survived by many other relatives here and in Japan, including nieces, nephews, and cousins. Lilyan was predeceased by her beloved husband, Torao Hirohama; cherished son, Kent Hirohama; parents, Ayaka and Setsu Takahash; sister, Mary Ogawa; and brothers, Tomokazu Takahash and Osam Takahash.

Lilyan was born in Los Angeles in 1929, the youngest child of Ayaka and Setsu Takahash, who immigrated to America from Ehime-ken, Japan. Her happy childhood in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of L.A. was upended by World War II and the forced expulsion and incarceration of Japanese Americans from the West Coast, when she and her family were sent to the Poston concentration camp in Arizona. Although the trauma and hardships of the incarceration left permanent marks, Lilyan went on to lead a long, full, and rich life. After earning an A.A. from Los Angeles Metropolitan College and working in L.A., she adventurously moved to Japan as a civilian employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. While working at Camp Zama, Japan, she met and married Torao Hirohama, a Korean War veteran from Hawaii. In 1964 they moved to Southern California, where they raised their three children, first in Hawthorne, and later in Santa Ana.

Although petite in stature, Lilyan had a strong, fierce, and tenacious spirit. She was known for her fun-loving and lively personality, and she could astonish friends and family with her remarkable memory, especially for people and events of long ago. Her gift for writing was first recognized in elementary school, and being a writer was a central part of her identity throughout her life. Her faith was important to her, and for some 30 years she was a member of Wintersburg Presbyterian Church, where she was active in the Senior Ministry and sang in the choir. She had many interests, but especially enjoyed reading, music, dogs (including her loyal companions, Kiki and Angus), and rooting for the Lakers and Dodgers.

A Service of Remembrance will be held on Saturday, May 30, at 10 a.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church, 300 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90013, with Rev. Mark M. Nakagawa officiating.