A private funeral service for Sam Soichi Hashiba was held on May 19, 2006, at Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles. Sam, 90, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in El Sereno on May 5, 2006.

Sam was born and raised in Kekaha, Kauai, and lived with his parents, Kuichi and Hatsune Hashiba and older brother, Hatsuichi (Val) and older sister, Haruko, at the Knudsen estate where his parents were employed. Sam followed his brother, Val, to Los Angeles and started working for the Gotanda brothers at their 7 Stars Produce business. When World War II broke out, he was sent to Rohwer Internment Camp in Arkansas where he met his future wife, Nagiko Tanabe.

After camp, Sam and Nagiko mmarried in Denver, Colorado, and started a family in Los Angeles. Sam worked 45 years in the gardening business and enjoyed many hobbies such as fishing, bonsai, grafting trees and traveling. But the thing he loved most was having his family and friends come over to visit and share a meal and a story while he sang them a song.

Surviving him are his wife, Nagiko, sons, Neil (Mary) and Ben (Joy), daughter, Joy (Gerry) Sekimura, four grandchildren, Kelli and Dean Hashiba, Doug and Wendy Sekimura and one great grandchild, Kalani Fugate.