Lucy Oda Obituary

Oda, Lucy Aiko Passed away peacefully March 29, 2012 at the age of 90 in Laguna Beach CA. Lucy was born in 1921 in Port Blakely WA to Koju and Hisa (Imase) Hiyama. She graduated from Queen Anne High School in Seattle WA, and studied Japanese culture at the Keisen Girls School in Tokyo Japan. With the threat of war looming, she returned to the US on the last passenger boat to cross the Pacific in November 1941. In 1942 her family was relocated to the Minadoka Internment Camp because they were American citizens of Japanese ancestry. From there they resettled in Chicago, where she was a resident of the north side for over 65 years. Here she met and married Yoshinobu "Butch" Oda of Hilo Hawaii (d. 1983), a soldier in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor and US Army Bronze Star. Lucy was a member of Ravenswood (Christian Fellowship) United Methodist Church, and an active participant at The White Crane Center, where she enjoyed studying Tai Chi with Shizu Lofton and performing in their traveling troupe. She loved rooting for the Cubs, and was a regular at Wrigley Field, especially on Ladies Days. She was a resident of The Breakers of Edgewater Beach for over ten years. Lucy had three siblings, Paul Hiyama (the late Grace) of Ann Arbor MI, and Tak Hiyama (Yuki), and Esther Kittaka (George), both of Morton Grove IL who preceded her in death. Her children are Cathy Grodzins (Jim) of Chicago, and Richard Oda (Suzanne) of Ladera Ranch CA. Lucy was a loving and sprightly grandmother to Mikhaila Woodall (Mark), Sasha Grodzins, and Jackie Oda. She had two great-granddaughters. She will be greatly missed by all of them. Memorial services will be privately held.