Mary Aoki

Mary Haruko Aoki

February 17, 1918 ~ November 22, 2017

Mary Haruko Aoki, 99, passed away on November 22, 2017 at Chancellor Gardens in Clearfield, UT.

She was born on February 17, 1918 in Sebastopol, CA, to Sugitaro and Toyo Takiguchi Matsumoto. Mary graduated from Analy High School. She married Masatoshi Al Aoki in Carson City, NV on March 29, 1940.

On April 2, 1942, Al, Mary, and their son Ronald, were evacuated from San Franciso, CA to Santa Anita Assembly Center in Arcadia, CA. On October 9, 1942, they were transferred to the Topaz Internment Camp in Delta, UT. They were released from Topaz on February 28, 1943. The family resided in Salt Lake City, moved to Ogden, then Roy, UT.

As a member of the Ogden Japanese Christian Church, she served as Young Women’s Fellowship President, Clerk of the Session, co-Skipper of the Mariners, editor of the newsletter, youth leader of Jr. High Group, and Sunday School Teacher. She was a member of the Ogden JACL and Wasatch Front North JACL. She was a volunteer at St. Benedicts Hospital and the Weber County Library.

She worked at Hill Air Force Base for over 22 years and retired from the Directorate of Contracting and Manufacturing in June 1980. She loved to read books, watch CNN, and play Jeopardy.

Mary is survived by her sons, Ronald (Midori), Fountain Valley, CA; Donald, Roy; Dr. Jon Richard (Arlene), Salt Lake City; daughter-in-law, Jacquie Taylor, Ogden; four grandchildren, Marcia, Mark (Diana), Cristal, and Joni (Stephen) Foxley; six great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Amy Matsumoto and Dorothy Tatsukawa; and many nephews and nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband; son, Alvin; brothers, Sam and George; sister, Grace; brother-in-law, William; half-brother, Frank; half-sister, Shigeko; and sister-in-law, Cecilia Tanabe.

A private viewing and graveside service will be held on Monday, November 27, 2017 at Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd. She requested no koden or flowers. Services entrusted to Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary.