Kazuko Nishimoto

Kazuko Nishimoto age 88, of Honolulu, Hawaii, peacefully passed away on December 9, 2017 in Richland WA.  She was born on June 13, 1929 in Nara, Japan to Kantaro Ozaki and Yoshino Fujimoto.   She is survived by her daughter Shirley Olinger, son Raymond Olinger, grandchildren Sean McCormick, Sarah McCormick, and Amanda Olinger, son-in-law Matt McCormick, and many friends and relatives in Nagasaki and Osaka, Japan, Hawaii, Denver, CO and Richland, WA. 

Kazuko’s mother died when she was just 5 years old. She was raised by her father who was in the shipbuilding business.  Kazuko survived the many hardships that was part of war time Japan and her family narrowly escaped being killed in the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.  After the war, Kazuko moved to Kagoshima and then Yokosuka Japan.  At Yokosuka, Kazuko met her husband Frank Olinger, a US Navy Chief.  They fell in love and were married in 1956.   Kazuko became a US citizen and quickly learned how to navigate the Navy way of life, along with learning a new language and culture.  Over the years Kazuko and family moved and lived at US Navy Bases across the globe including Japan, Taiwan, Olathe Kansas,  San Diego, Long Beach and Monterey California and finally ending up in Honolulu Hawaii where Frank eventually retired from active service after 32 years with the Navy.  

Kazuko was a successful business woman owning and managing bars and restaurants in the Honolulu area including the Chandelier Bar and the Kunia Country Club restaurant.   Since 1993 Kazuko has lived in Golden, CO and Richland, WA with Shirley and Matt and provided so much love and devotion to her grandchildren and family.  Kazuko (“Babachan”) will be remembered as an incredibly strong, loving and generous person who cooked many excellent dishes for family and friends such as gyoza, sushi, mabo tofu and fried rice to name a few.

Kazuko’s family thanks all of the friends, health professionals, and care givers who helped the family and who made Kazuko as comfortable as possible over the last several months.   Especially Dr. Pat Hamner and his staff in Kennewick WA.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Einan’s at Sunset and online messages may be sent to the family at www.sunsetgardenstricities.com.   In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Kazuko’s life may be made to charities of your choice.  A private family service in the Japanese tradition will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii in the spring of 2018.