In loving memory of Yuri Matsuzawa

Yuri Matsuzawa, age 96, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2024. She was born on March 3, 1928 in Akita, Japan to parents Tojiro and Riwa Kato. In her early years she was an elementary school teacher in the Oga Peninsula of Akita,Japan. She met her husband, Joe Matsuzawa, after WW II ended and his Army unit set up a radar site on this strategic peninsula.

They married in June 1949 and had four children. The family traveled and lived on various Air Force bases, Larson Air Force Base in Moses Lake, Paine Air Force Base in Everett, Johnson Air Base in Japan and Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. When Joe retired from the Air Force in 1966, they settled in Lynnwood, Washington.

Yuri went to work as a housekeeper in the Labor & Delivery section for Providence Medical Center, Colby Campus (formerly Everett General Hospital). When Yuri retired from Providence in 1993, she volunteered at Keiro Nursing Home in Seattle. She volunteered there for 20 years until she retired from Keiro at the age of 85.

Yuri had many friends and hobbies such as Japanese Tea Ceremony and belong to the Urasenke School of Tea. She sang in the Japanese Rainbow Choir, was active in various Japanese cultural clubs such as Kumamoto Kenji Kai. She loved books and was an avid reader, cooked delicious Japanese meals, traveled with her friends and most of all loved spending time with grandchildren.

Throughout Yuri's life, she always welcomed family and friends to their home and was kind and gentle to everyone she met. She was a member of the Japanese Baptist Church in Seattle and was baptized in 2003.

She was preceded in death by her husband Joe Matsuzawa, her brothers Ginzo Sato and Norio and Toshifumi Kato. She is survived by her children Ken (Chisato) Matsuzawa, Mick (Patricia) Matsuzawa, June Matsuzawa (Sam) Shkurhan and Tom (Stacy) Matsuzawa, 10 grandchildren, Kendra, Kent, Kara Matsuzawa, Katie, Evan Matsuzawa, Nina Yamada, Alison Shkurhan Myers, Sean Shkurhan, Michelle and Joey Matsuzawa and four great grandchildren, Kellen and Avery Myers, Adelei Matsuzawa and Jayden Yamada.

Yuri will be deeply missed and remembered by her loved ones.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Keiro Northwest or Japanese Baptist Church in Seattle can be made in her memory.

A celebration of life will be held on November 17, 2024 at 1:30 pm at Japanese Baptist Church.