Etsuko Teruya Obituary

ETSUKO "ET" TERUYA September 6, 1922 ~ March 6, 2023 Etsuko Teruya passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 100. She was born and raised in Osaka, Japan. After WWII, during the occupation of Japan, she met the love of her life, Toshio Teruya, a Maui boy serving in the US Army. Etsuko and Toshi were married in Yokohama soon after meeting. Colleen, their beloved daughter, was born in 1948. Etsuko and her small family would live on Wake Island, in Kaimuki, and then finally settling into Moanalua Gardens. Etsuko and Toshi enjoyed 72 years of marriage until his passing in 2018. During the 60's and 70's, Etsuko worked at a small mess hall in Fort Shafter and various lunch wagons near Honolulu International Airport. In the early 80's Etsuko worked at Blair Inc., a duty free retailer. Etsuko enjoyed her time there as her cheerful personality came through, and enjoyed talking and engaging with customers from around the world. In 1998 she became a proud U.S. citizen. It was around that time her friends began to call her "ET" after the famous movie. Even though she never saw the movie she embraced the "ET" nickname as her own. During ET's retirement years she enjoyed cooking meals for family events. Watching Japanese and Korean dramas. Going to Japan and Vegas with Toshi. ET was very active and healthy; she would cook, do light house chores, go shopping with family and fix her own bed every morning, well into her late 90's. It was truly amazing watching her embrace living even at that age. It's safe to say ET lived a long and wonderful life. Thank you ET for all the love and kindness you gave to us. Honoring her wishes there was no funeral. She is interred at The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl, where she and Toshi are forever reunited. Goodbye Etsuko, you will be forever loved.