Satoru Leonard Hayashida

Satoru Leonard Hayashida, 73, the first Bainbridge Island baby born in the World War II relocation camp of Manzanar, Calif., died Feb. 1.

He was born to Saburo and Fumiko Hayashida on Aug. 15, 1942, during the wartime internment of Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island. Following the war, his family returned to their strawberry farm on Bainbridge Island, before moving to Seattle in 1950.

In the following years, every summer he returned to Bainbridge Island to work picking berries on the Hayashida and Kitamoto family farms.

He graduated from Seattle’s Franklin High School in 1960 and attended Edison Technical School and the University of Washington before being drafted into the Army.

He served in combat in Vietnam, where he was awarded the U.S. Army’s Commen­dation Medal for Heroism and decorated with a Purple Heart.

Upon being honorably discharged, he resumed his education at the University of Washington, but his medical disabilities hampered his studies.

In 1968, he married Carole Kumagai. He and Carole remained close friends through the years, and he later became like a second father to her children, Paul and Lauren Waudé.

He had a lifelong passion for collecting rare and unusual items. His collections included small items such as jewelry, kitchenware and Hawaiian shirts, and larger items such as appliances, jukeboxes, furniture and even cars.

Other offbeat collections included happy faces, ethnic memorabilia and pink flamingoes.

In addition to adding items to his own collections, he always looked for items he knew his many fellow “junking” friends collected or things he thought a loved one would enjoy.

In 1987 he began an 18-year career of driving a bus for the Bainbridge Island School District, where he developed an exceptional connection with the special needs children.

While living on Bainbridge, he developed a strong friendship with Barbara Hagen.

After several years, their friendship evolved into a deep commitment. Over the years, Barbara’s children, Jeannie, Lyle and Troy, came to view Leonard as a second father.

In 1998 Leonard, Barbara and Troy established Chili Cosmos, a popular dining establishment in Winslow. After five years developing a loyal following, they lost their lease in Winslow and were forced to close that location. Lyle still operates a Chili Cosmos establishment in Shoreline.

In November 2005, Leonard was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Although the prognosis was terminal with a short survival time, he volunteered to participate in a research trial of an unproven chemotherapy drug.

For several weeks he endured the additional pain associated with these treatments, with the hope of helping future pancreatic cancer victims.

He was preceded in death by his father, Saburo Hayashida.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Hagen, and her children Jeannie Blossom, Lyle Grant and Troy Grant, and four grandchildren. He is also survived by his mother, Fumiko Hayashida, his brother, Neal (Trudy) Hayashida, and his sister, Natalie and her husband, Al Ong.

A celebration of life, in “Leonard-style” informal attire, will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 12 at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church on Bainbridge Island.

In lieu of flowers or koden, the family suggests remembrances be made to the Leonard Hayashida Kids Fund to benefit special needs children on Bainbridge Island: Bainbridge Public Schools Trust, 8489 Madison Ave. N.E., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, or the Poulsbo North Kitsap Special Education Department, 18360 Caldart Ave. N.E., Poulsbo, WA 98370, or to a charity of choice.

Arrangements are by Kass and Cook Family Funeral Home.