BARBARA KAWAKAMI Obituary

BARBARA FUSAKO KAWAKAMI Barbara Fusako Kawakami, 103, passed away on December 20, 2024, in Mililani, Hawaii. After a 38-year career as a dressmaker, she pursued higher education at age 52, earning a BA in Fashion Design and an MA in Asian Studies at the University of Hawaii Manoa. In 1993, she published Japanese Immigrant Clothing in Hawaii, 1885-1941, by the UH Press. In 2012, the Honpa Hongwanji Buddhist Mission recognized her as a "Living Treasure of Hawaii." In 2016, she published Picture Bride Stories, by the UH Press, which won the Asian-Pacific American Award for Literature in Non-Fiction. In 2019, she received the "Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays" at the Imperial Palace. She is predeceased by husband Douglas in 2001, son Steven in 2017, and is survived by daughter Fay (Ivan) Toyama, son Gary (Brigitte) Kawakami, 5 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Memorial services on Friday April 18, 2025, at Mililani Memorial Park, Mauka Chapel at 9:30 am with burial to follow.