Yuri Murayama (94) passed away on January 31, 2018. She is survived by her loving family; daughter, April (Doug) Miller; grandchildren, Lance (Claudia) Niimi, Brent Niimi, Shane (Traci) Niimi, Kirk and Drew Miller; great-grandchildren, Erika and Ken Niimi, Mikaela, Tani and Tyler Niimi, Brooke, Bryce, Hunter, and Heath Niimi, and Taryn Miller; also survived by her sister Florence Iida, many nieces, nephews and other relatives. Private family services were held and she was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.

On Saturday, February 17th at 10:00 am, the family will celebrate her life with a visit to her final resting place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale, followed by a Memorial lunch at Trattoria Amici at The Americana at Brand in Glendale. Those wishing to join can contact them at aprildoug1@earthlink.net for more detailed information.

Mom was born Yuri Nemoto on Dec. 08, 1923, delivered by a midwife at their home on Kohler Street in Los Angeles and resided there during her formative years with her Father Moichi, Mother Yai, and 4 sisters: Hatsu, Kimi, Mitsu and Florence. Growing up, some of her fondest memories were of her Dad taking the girls for Sunday drives in the car and on longer sightseeing trips whenever possible. But by her account, my Grandpa was not a very good driver and they all experienced a few of his fender benders from time to time.

She attended 9th Street Elementary school, Lafayette Jr. High, and graduated from Jefferson High School. While attending UCLA during the war years, her family sent to an internment camp in Rohwer, Arkansas. As luck would have it, she was awarded a scholarship to attend college in Virginia and graduated from Madison College with a BS degree in Dietetics in 1946. A year later, she completed her internship at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and came home to Los Angeles to look for a job. While working at Temple Hospital in LA, she met and married my Dad, Amor, and I was born.

Throughout the years, she and her sisters remained close and we took trips and vacationed locally with each of their growing families. They all inherited the love of travel from their father and toured Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe together on different occasions. With Hatsu, she saw Russia and traveled the Silk Road to Mongolia and then she and Florence explored Turkey together. She also went on cruises to Mexico and the Bahamas with her co-worker and friend Ruth. With my family she went in an RV to Canada, Houseboats on Lake Shasta, cruised the Hawaiian Islands and always came with us on our annual fishing trips to Mammoth Lakes.

Mom had a passion for the arts and as a child she began taking me to museums, concerts, musicals, ballets and operas at an early age. She became accomplished in Sumi-e painting after taking many years of lessons. When dance lessons became all the rage with the Nisei, she joined in and looked forward to going to both the lessons and the dances, as did her sisters.

Several years after my Dad passed away, she began dating Herb Murayama. They enjoyed going to the dances and movies together and shared the love of travel. She went with him on his business trips to Japan sometimes twice a year. In 2005, they were married and resided in his condo in Little Tokyo until Mom decided that she was done with cooking and they moved to the Keiro Retirement home. When it became necessary for Herb, they moved to the Hollenbeck Palms Assisted Living home and he passed away after Parkinson's got the better of him last July, just one month before his 96th birthday. Mom came down with the flu a week before she passed away. The flu took its' toll and her heart gave out.

Both Mom and Herb lived long, full and happy lives. Something that each of us can aspire to.

We will remember her kindness, generosity, vitality and unconditional love. She will remain in our hearts forever.
- By April D. Niimi-Miller, daughter of Yuri Murayama