Christine Meiko Takaki

Christine Meiko Takaki was a romantic, who believed in soulmates, hated to be tickled, and loved for the final time December 17, 2023. Meiko, second of six kids to Noboru and Ryoko Miyao, was born in Yano, Japan May 27, 1947, less than 2 years after and 10 miles away from the detonation of the atomic bomb. Ryoko lived with dementia, but until her final days she never forgot she had 6 kids. Of Ryoko’s 6 kids, Meiko was her best friend. Meiko and Ryoko were 2 peas in a pod who sang, cooked, and laughed together. Meiko sailed with her parents from Japan and arrived in America where she was spooked by costumes on Halloween Day, 1954. The Miyao family drove across the country from San Francisco to New Jersey to stay with her Uncle Hashimoto for 2 years until they went back west and made a home in Long Beach, California.

Ever the romantic, Meiko didn't only believe in love, she believed in being in love. She met Kikuzo Joe Takaki, through a mutual friend Kay Nelson, and married Joe on May 20, 1978. She and Joe loved writing notes to each other in Hallmark cards like “I can’t believe it’s been 7 months! Here’s to many more.” or “I love you! What more is there to say…” Meiko and Joe added 2 boys to their family in 1980 and 1983. When Meiko was really angry, she yelled the kids names together Jeffrey-Jason to let them know how much trouble they were in. During Dodger games or while reading novels and memoirs, Meiko could be heard clapping her hands and gasping. She was always curious, and things like homers, strikeouts, luck, and love, those things moved her. When physical pain moved from her arthritic joints, sent shocks into her nerves, broke her bones, hid in her intestines, tore her tendons, and made it hard to breathe–Meiko refused to give up her life. She clenched her fists and stood for family photos, and when she became wheelchair bound, she kept active with big movement exercises like marching wildly in place or punching Jeffrey’s open palms. She was feisty and wanted to be her best. Her son Jason became her best friend during her decline. They traded jokes, made each other smile, and took selfies together. Meiko was warm, kind, and also cared for her brothers, younger sister, and her nephew and nieces. She leaves behind 5 siblings, Henry, Kanji, Kaiso, Nancy, and John, 1 nephew Tyler, 2 nieces Allison and Kali and 3 broken hearts, her husband Joe, and her sons Jeffrey-Jason.

In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to either the Michael J. Fox Foundation or Parkinson’s Foundation. A memorial service will be held at Green Hills Memorial Chapel on January 6, 2024, 11:30 AM. Interment to follow.