A Celebration of Life will be held on January 24, 2026 for Richard (known as “Dicky”) Hirasuna and Suzie Hirasuna at Chatsworth West United Methodist Church. Richard passed away surrounded by family on November 19, 2025, at his home at Nikkei Senior Gardens in Arleta. He was 92. His wife Suzie died peacefully surrounded by family on December 18 at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center at the age of 89, nearly one month after Richard’s passing and two weeks prior to their 71st wedding anniversary.

Their love story was the stuff of rom-coms. Born in Los Angeles County, both Richard and Suzie were incarcerated at the Santa Anita racetrack in California as children before being transferred to the Rohwer Japanese American internment camp in Arkansas during World War II. They didn’t meet until high school in Chicago, Illinois, where their respective families moved after the war. Richard joined the U.S. Army (stationed first in Missouri) in June of 1954, but missed Suzie so much he came back to marry her on New Year’s Day of 1955, even going AWOL a few hours to do so. His two years of service included time in Georgia and later in France, where he specialized as a high speed radio operator. He was awarded a National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and Sharpshooter Badge. After his service, Richard and Suzie returned to Southern California, where they raised their four children.

Richard rose through the ranks at Litton Data Systems and Litton Data Command Systems, and played a pivotal role in the development of major defense projects for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps. While working at the company and raising a family, he also attended night school at West Coast University, graduating with a BS in electrical engineering and later with a master’s degree in management science. Litton launched an annual award for exemplary leaders in 1992, The Richard M. Hirasuna Leadership Award, which was named in his honor.

Demonstrating his heroism, during a business trip to Washington, D.C., while heading to dinner with colleagues, Richard saw a taxi barreling toward them in the crosswalk and instinctively pushed his female colleague out of harm’s way, but that meant he himself was run over. He was hospitalized for days, required extensive surgery, and his right leg was forever scarred.

While Suzie did not attend college, she was incredibly smart, well-read, and a very talented artist. Together with her sisters, May and Lois, Suzie invested in a Hallmark franchise and opened Suzy’s Hallmark Shop in Northridge, where she meticulously kept the books and ran all operations with Lois for 6-1/2 years. She was an “Asian Martha Stewart,” sewing elaborate Halloween costumes for all her children and always made a variety of cookies and ample holiday meals from scratch. She was known for her thoughtfulness and ability to light up a room with her smile.

Richard and Suzie were devoted members of Chatsworth West UMC, and enjoyed traveling with the church to China, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Israel, and Turkey. Their final years together were spent at Nikkei Senior Gardens in Arleta. Their family miss them both dearly, but take solace in the thought that their love was so strong, they could not be without each other for long.

Survivors include their four children, Susan, Kerry, Rich, and Ellie; daughter-in-law, Cherie; nine grandchildren, Jonathan, Hannah, Noah, Tristan, Aidan, Sophie, Samantha, Caroline, and Richard; Suzie’s sister, Lois Morishita; and many nieces and nephews. 

Services will be held on Saturday, January 24, 10:30 a.m., at Chatsworth West United Methodist Church, 10824 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Chatsworth. In lieu of flowers or koden, please donate to the UChicago Hope & Healing Network on behalf of SCA6 Network (www.SCA6.org).