Kay Susumu Kawada

Kay was born in Redondo Beach, California, on September 21, 1940. In the early 1900s, his parents immigrated from Tottori, Japan, to San Francisco and then to Los Angeles; they established a new life as flower growers. The youngest with two older sisters (Yayoi Sueda, who died in 2011, and Sachi Hatano), he remembers being close to his dad, who had a sparkle when he saw him (you know, being the only son) and to his mom, who never failed to look after him despite their busy schedule. It was his beloved mom who would occasionally slip him some money when he grew older.

Kay had fond memories of accompanying his dad to the flower market in downtown LA. His dad drove an old truck in the wee hours of the morning to sell his lovely flowers, such as snapdragons, chrysanthemums, and carnations. Kay loved to tag along with his "old" dad because he knew there would be a "treat" for him at the end of this long session. Yes, those were the good ol' days when you could comfortably share stories and socialize with your cronies in downtown LA.

When Torrance was totally undeveloped and nothing but acres of well-tended flowers, his parents settled there where Kay attended elementary and intermediate schools. He graduated from Torrance High School in 1958. A quiet person, who had a keen memory of his classmates and his academic and social experiences, Kay treasured his time at Torrance High. We attended several reunions and enjoyed them. It was Stephanie who encouraged him to volunteer his services with the reunion organizing committee. After first questioning her suggestion, he followed up and participated in the planning of their 50th reunion. And amazingly, he felt gratified that he could contribute by designing their brochure and contacting classmates about this memorable event.

A good student who was honored with a scholarship from THS, Kay attended El Camino and UCLA where he studied industrial art (he loved to design cars). He graduated from UCLA, with a B.S. degree in Fine Art. He was working toward his Master's at UCLA; however, he felt the Army beckoning him to fight in Viet Nam. He was called to train in the deep South. He remembers passing through the flat, arid lands of Texas to arrive in Arkansas for military training. The Army determined that he could best serve his country by going to … of all places … Fort Shafter! There, he drew maps and developed a close friendship with Wes Wilhite, another artist. After he was discharged from the Army, he lost contact with his buddy but fortunately was reunited when they were both in their 60s. Wes's wife, Joyce, had sent letters to several "Kay Kawadas" asking if he had served in the Army in Honolulu. Finally, Kay received this letter and responded immediately, and the long-distance friendship continued until Wes's untimely death more than a year ago. They had shared happy moments on the phone and loved to place bets on the Super Bowl. This past December, Kay and Stephanie traveled to the Grand Canyon to meet his pal's widow, Joyce, and her sister, Shirley. They had the greatest time laughing and being mesmerized by the spectacular sights of nature. Kay and Joyce were like two peas in a pod!

Going back in time now … Kay and Stephanie met while he was working as a graphic artist in Honolulu. He encouraged her to move to Los Angeles after her mom died in 1971. She lived first with her sister, Kathy, in the Valley. From Gardena, he would drive daily after work to see Steph. When she moved to Los Feliz, he would again faithfully drive every night to meet with you. When Steph drove separately to various locations, he would carefully lead the way in his old '68 Porsche. After one year of backing and forthing, they decided to get hitched in 1972. They settled in the Wilshire district. However, Kay's dad died unexpectedly and he felt compelled to support his mom. The day after his dad died, Kay and Steph were settled in at his parent's new home in Gardena.

Their daughter, Christie Larisa Keiko, was born in 1977. She was, of course, the apple of his eye! He would tend to her every need. He devoted hours as he watched her do artwork and explained to her the necessity of cleaning the paint brushes and not pressing too hard on the fine art pens. He was so proud that she developed his artistic talents! He taught her to drive the stick shift Integra when she was 16. He was always so patient.

Kay developed the same love of koi, as did his beloved father. After his dad died, he continued to maintain the koi pond that his father had constructed. Years before his mom's death, he designed the koi pond of his dreams. After his mom died, he had the pond constructed in the early 2000s. It was his pride and joy. Every day he would meticulously prepare the food for his beloved koi; he would use pliers to crush the koi food, warm the water and drop the koi food in it, and then feed the "jewels" at his koi pond as well as the one at his mom's place. Stephanie always wondered why he would spend so much time doing that … wondering if his hands hurt using the pliers every day. Nope! He loved doing exactly what he was doing.

Rather than hire a gardener, he insisted on pruning all of his trees and watering his million plants using (of all things) a watering can. He resisted hooking up a sprinkler in the back yard. He loved to raise unusual plants and succulents (without the needles) and place them in decorative ceramic pots.

Yes, he would do what he loved best --- shopping for knickknacks to create his art projects. In December, he had spent hours preparing an old birch branch, by stripping the exterior and putting a fine varnish over the branch. He bought fine glass decorations and a base and had planned to put it outdoors. When Stephanie saw it, she thought it belonged on their dining room table! And that's where it will sit all year round. Just a few days ago, he had prepped another branch and had bought St. Paddy's Day decorations to celebrate Christie's birthday. He had so many unfinished projects that he was targeting to complete. But Father Time called the shots and said it was time.

Like his dear dad, he quit smoking, recovered from an abdominal aneurysm in 2010, and died at the same age --- 74 years.

Kay will be forever remembered for his wit, uncanny sense of humor, jovial disposition, love for toy cars and Porsches, and devotion to his family. His daughter and grandson, Cooper Kaan, were definitely his pride and joy! He loved to get together with family members and old friends.

May he rest in eternal peace, with his favorite shirt, family pictures, and toys! Love always.


Funeral Home:
Green Hills Mortuary and Memorial Chapel
27501 S.Western Ave.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
US 90275