Kathleen Harumi Nakagawa

Kathy was born in Mountain View, Hawaii in 1953 to Hatsuo and Tokue Yamasaki. She attended Hilo High School and University of Hawaii at Hilo before moving to the mainland to study Education at University of Puget Sound in Washington. She also received a Master’s in Education from Grand Canyon University. Kathy enjoyed being a grade school teacher until she retired in 2013. She loved traveling, spending time in her garden, and playing with her grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband, Brian, three children Tyson, Britton, and Kirstin, and eight grand children Mila, Ethan, Aiden, Zachary, Brandon, Alexander, Willow, and Evie.

A memorial service and celebration of life was held at 11:00am on Monday, October 16, 2023 at Cypress View in San Diego.

Thank you to her loving caregivers, Faith and Harold. Thank you to the palliative care and hospice doctors, nurses, and volunteers at Hospice of North Coast for the home care and comfortable environment during her passing at Pacifica House in Carlsbad.

New - Ash Spreading was done in Honolulu off Diamond Head on April 1, 2024. We also wrote messages to Kathy on biodegradeable floating laterns, floated them, and threw orchids in the ocean. Greeting us was a turtle, 2 dolphins, and whales spouting. The next day we had a ceremony at Puna Hongwangi in Keeau, Hawaii and left an urn next to her Mom and Dad. A few pictures have been added to the main page.