Yoshiki Kawamura

Dr. Yoshiki Kawamura, 85, of Denver, Colorado passed away unexpectedly on January 18, 2019. He was born on December 12, 1933 in Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan and migrated toward the Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo where he went to Azabu University. As a child, Yoshi witnessed many atrocities during World War II including seeing his family's home being destroyed by a bomb from a nearby rice field where he was taking refuge along with his mother, grandmother, and three younger siblings. Despite this experience, Yoshi had a fascination with United States culture and aspired to move to America when he was old enough to do so. After completing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in the late 1950s, Yoshi married the love of his life, Yukiko Onodera, in 1962. A few short years later, he emigrated to the United States to find work and lay the groundwork for making a home there. On October 3, 1967, his wife Yuki, sons Ken-ichi (4) and Koji (1) joined Yoshi in Aberdeen, South Dakota to start a new life in America. Yoshi and his family lived in South Dakota where he worked with large animals on a ranch before settling in the Denver area in 1968 where they became US citizens.

Yoshi was an intellectually gifted and inquisitive man who had many interests. Upon moving to America, Yoshi proceeded to take in anything and everything that was uniquely American; from John Wayne movies to visiting the great U.S. National Parks, Yoshi and his young family absorbed the American culture with gusto and pride. In his early years in the US, Yoshi became a ballroom dance instructor through coursework at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, earned a black belt in judo, was a card dealer in Las Vegas, rode the rodeo in Cheyenne, and led his family on many adventures of the US where they toured every state in the continental US in their '74 Eldorado camper. Yoshi was also an avid marksman, amateur photographer, small aircraft pilot, and author. After working for many years as a large animal veterinarian and ultimately for the USDA as an inspector, Yoshi retired in 1995. Upon official retirement, Yoshi taught Japanese at a Denver area community college, worked as a guide for Japanese tourists visiting the Denver area, and published two Japanese dictionaries of American slang words. This was done in response to the infamous 1992 Japanese exchange student, Yoshihiro Hittori, who was gunned down due to a verbal miscommunication. Yoshi was a highly intelligent man who loved the United States and always endeavored to do the right thing. Yoshiki Kawamura was an immigrant and a true American.

Yoshiki Kawamura is survived by his wife of 56 years, Yukiko Onodera Kawamura originally of Kesennuma, Japan; Sons, Ken-ichi (Shelley) of Windsor, CO, and Koji (Carolyn) of Westminster, CO; grandsons, Kainan, Gabriel and Jack; Brothers, Kenya Kawamura of Hamamatsu, Japan, and Takao Kawamura of Shizuoka, Japan; sister, Namiko Kawamura Takahashi of Chiba, Japan; as well as many extended family members who reside in Japan.

Memorial Service will be Saturday, February 2, 2019, 11:00am at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 7577 West 80th Avenue, Arvada. A reception will follow immediately after the service.

Please share your memories of Yoshiki and condolences with his family by signing the guestbook below.

Memorial Service: February 2, 2019 11:00 am

Horan & McConaty - Northwest/Arvada
7577 W. 80th Ave.
Arvada, CO 80003