Martha Masako Nakashima

Martha ‘Marti’ Nakashima passed away on April 5, 2019 at the age of 99. She was born in Issaquah, Washington on March 30, 1920 to Gensei and Sei Nakazawa. She had four brothers: T.G., Roy, Yoshio and Robert Nakazawa. Robert, the youngest, still lives in Chicago.

Martha lived in many places during her long life. She lived through the Long Beach earthquake of 1933; spent WWII in an Internment Camp in Jerome, AK; met and married her husband, Yukio Nakashima, at the University of Nebraska; and helped run the family grocery store in Salt Lake City. When Martha was 8 years old, she became best friends with Aya Sato. They moved from city to city together until 1948, when Aya married Robert Kimura and moved to Fresno. They’ve remained close all these years.

In 1957, the Nakashima family sold their store in Salt Lake and moved to Los Angeles so Yukio could earn his PharmD at USC. Martha took on the job of raising their daughter, Janis. Martha became an active volunteer at Lincoln Elementary School, North Torrance High School, the Gardena Buddhist Church, and the Kyokumoyu Chitose and Bando Mitsuhiro Japanese dance schools. She always took the time to stay connected to friends and family, no matter the distance—no mean feat without the internet.

After Yukio’s passing in 1977, Martha jumped back into the workforce. Several short term jobs led Martha to Daniel Freeman hospital, where Yukio had worked for many years. Although she loved working in their Medical Education Department, when she was asked to be the Executive Secretary for Sister Mary Esther, the head of the hospital, Martha took the job. She retired from Daniel Freeman in 1987, then took a job at the Torrance Chamber of Commerce and worked another 3 years.
In 1994, Martha moved in with her daughter and son-in-law, Robert Stokes, in Redondo Beach. She instantly became an invaluable member of the household, keeping to her motto ‘Just tell me what you need, and I’ll do it’. When her grandson, Ethan, was born, she provided live-in babysitting, often strollering him around the hilly Redondo Beach neighborhoods for exercise.

In her 80’s, Martha finally found time to indulge a lifelong passion—reading. She became a voracious reader. When she ran out of histories, biographies or Buddhist teachings, she read our World Book Encyclopedia. She read it all, A to Z. 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles became another hobby she and Janis enjoyed together. They finished over 50 puzzles in the last couple of years.

Email made it possible for nieces and nephews around the country to ask Martha about family history, which she was always happy to provide. Her mind stayed sharp, so family and friends from around the country came to visit and hear stories only she could tell.

In 2000, Martha mused that it would be great to live long enough to see her infant grandson grow up and go to college. No one expected that to come true, but last year, she got her wish when Ethan started at UCLA. Her optimism and bold curiosity have carried her through good and bad times for nearly a century. From the days of the Model T to the rise of Google, she weathered change with her own brand of wisdom and humor. Her absence will be felt for many years to come.

Farewell to the best mom and friend anyone could ever have. You will be sorely missed by all who love you.

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Final words of the Buddha:
"All things are constantly changing;
work out your salvation with diligence!"
- The Awareness of Self by Reverend Gyodo Haguri

The Eightfold Noble Path
Right View
Right Thought
Right Speech
Right Behavior
Right Living
Right Effort
Right Reflection
Right Meditation

Nembutsu suru: (to contemplate on the Buddha)
Namu Amida Butsu
Namu Amida Butsu
Namu Amida Butsu

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