Norio E Ogata

Norio E. Ogata‒Veteran. PCS (Permanent Change of Station) passed away at his home in Ogden, Utah on October 3, 2023. Norio quietly passed in the early hours, at his home with his wife of 60 years, Nobu Ogata, by his side. He was born May 8, 1935 at St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma, Washington. One of Norio’s fondest memories was visiting his grandfather at age 5, one summer in Japan.

As a 3rd generation Japanese American, it was important to Norio for us to always remember a painful and unjust time for many Japanese Americans in history. “Never Forget Is Now”. The injustice of internment camps occurred at the beginning of WWII, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive order #9066. Norio, at the age of 6, and his family were removed from their home in Tacoma, Washington and transported to the following internment camp locations, Pinedale, California, Tule Lake, California and Topaz, Utah. After 3 plus years of involuntarily living in the internment camps, he and his family were released and they relocated permanently to Ogden, Utah. Norio attended both Ogden High School and Weber State University.

Norio was a very proud veteran. He served his country for two years in the United States Army and also skied for the Army in Berchtesgaden, Germany. For almost 40 years, Norio worked for the U.S. Federal Government and retired from Hill Air Force Base. During most of his career, he chose to work the second shift so he could pursue his passions of both skiing and golfing. He especially enjoyed his skiing years at Snow Basin and his golfing buddies at Riverside Golf Course.

Norio loved his family and lived in the same house he purchased for almost 60 years. He took tremendous pride in his garden and manicured yard. Norio was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was respected and admired by many. He will be remembered for his unwavering dedication, hard work ethic, good sense of humor, and moral compass.

Norio is survived by his wife, Nobu Ogata and his identical twin daughters, Karen (Brett) Sutherlin and Lisa Ogata. Norio is also survived by his three grandchildren, Carly Dotson, Carter Sutherlin and Landon Sutherlin and his two siblings, Shirow (Michi) Ogata and Ritsuko Endo (Roy-deceased).

To honor his request, funeral services will not be held. An intimate family-only service will be held to celebrate and honor his life.