Funeral service for the late Satsuko Higashi, a ninety-one-year-old Los Angeles resident who died on April 8, 2009 will be held at Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple on April 17, ll a.m.

Satsuko Higashi was born in Hilo, Hawaii but reared and educated in Funakoshi-machi, a Hiroshima suburb. Following her engagement to Setsuo Higashi, she emigrated to the U.S. to become a young bride. War unfortunately intervened, and she was soon interned at Amache, Colorado. After hostilities, she returned to Los Angeles to become a lifelong resident.

Certificated as an ikebana instructor by a Kyoto institute, she practiced ikenobo all her life. She was an expert seamstress, an avid gardener, a brilliant cook, a devoted pet owner, and an enthusiastic wrestling fan. Above all, she was a much-loved mother and grandmother.

She is survived by her son, Teruhiko Higashi, of Pasadena, California; her daughter, Kimiko Higashi, of San Rafael, California; her daughter Sumiko Higashi and son-in-law, Robert J. Smith, of Guilford, Connecticut; and her grandson, Sai Higashi, of Ota Shi Gunma, Japan.