Sadayoshi Omoto

October 5, 1922 – March 4, 2013

      Sadayoshi “Sada” Omoto, 90, formerly of Bainbridge Island, died March 4 in Traverse City, Mich. He was born on October 5, 1922, at Wing Point on Bainbridge Island.

      Sada grew up picking strawberries on local farms. As a young boy, he played sports with his brothers and enjoyed watching the exploits of the town baseball team – beginning a lifelong love affair with the sport. Even in 2013, he still remembered players by name and position.

      He graduated from Bainbridge High School in 1941. During high school, Sada was active in school government. He served as class president and editor of the school newspaper, Bainbridge Hi-Lights.

      After graduation, Sada enrolled at the University of Washington with hopes of becoming his family’s first college graduate – but his life was changed forever the day Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor. Soon after, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the U.S. military to relocate U.S. citizens of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast. Among the first evacuees were Japanese Americans living on Bainbridge Island. Sada was one of 227 islanders forcibly removed from their homes, taking with them only what they could carry.

      Sada, his brother and widowed mother were assigned to barracks at Manzanar, an internment camp in the southern California desert. While there, he was a “camp correspondent” for the Bainbridge Review, sending dispatches about life in Manzanar. Sada later served in the U.S. Army, training as a linguist at the Military Intelligence Service Language School alongside other Nisei, including fellow islanders. After the service, Sada earned a Ph.D. in Art History at The Ohio State University and embarked on a 40-year career in higher education. He taught at colleges in Illinois, Detroit and – for more than 30 years – at Michigan State University.

      Sada retired in 1993. He moved to northern Michigan in 1997. In his later years, he returned to painting. He frequently took inspiration from views of Lake Michigan near his home, but also spoke frequently of the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and, especially, his beloved Bainbridge Island. He returned for visits and to attend Bainbridge High School reunions. In 1999, his children established the Sadayoshi Omoto Scholarship, which is awarded each year to a deserving Bainbridge High School senior who wishes to pursue a college education. In 2008, Sada received an honorary bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, along with other Japanese American students whose studies were interrupted by the internment.

      A celebration of Sada’s life will be held May 24 at the Old Art Building in Leland, Mich.

      Please visit www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com/obituaries for more information on Sada’s life and to share your thoughts and memories with the family.

      Sada is survived by his wife, Kathryn Bishop Omoto of Leland; children Loren (Susan) Omoto of Maitland, Fla.; Allen Omoto (David Robinson) of Claremont, Calif.; and Katherine (Neal) Fortin of Okemos, Mich.; granddaughter Helen Fortin and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Daikichi and Masa Omoto; his son, Roger Omoto; his brothers, Setsuo, Taketo and Masakatsu Omoto; and his sister, Kanee Omoto.

      Donations in Sada’s memory may be made to the following organizations or to a charity of the donor’s choice:

• Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community: www.bijac.org/index.php?p=MEMORIALDonations

• Leelanau Community Cultural Center at the Old Art Building: www.oldartbuilding.com/contributions-and-donations/

• The Leelanau Conservancy: leelanauconservancy.org/donate/

TRIBUTE Paid Notice