Obituary: Mishima, Jofu
Age 85
His family ran a downtown boarding house that suffered during the Great Depression and was just bouncing back when World War II broke out.
His family was forced to leave their homes, businesses and possessions, and were housed in makeshift barracks at Heart Mountain Relocation Camp in Cody, Wyoming for four years.
He attended high school surrounded by armed guards.
Jofu was drafted into the Army shortly after graduation and was stationed in post-war Japan, working in Army laboratories.
He soon returned to the U.S., worked his way through college and earned a B.S.
in Chemistry from Wayne State University.
He returned to Los Angeles, working in several scientific fields including a jet propulsion lab.
Anti-Japanese sentiment was still high, affecting his chance for advancement, so he took a job at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Richland, WA., the beginning of a lifelong career in nuclear energy.
He became an expert in his field, Aerosol Physics and worked past age 80.
Jofu was a performer at heart and spent decades in Richland Light Opera.
Beyond his brilliant mind and creative talents, he will be most remembered by those who knew him for his one-of-a-kind ability to converse with anyone about anything.
He was kind, gentle and generous.
He touched the lives of countless people with his big heart and sharp mind.
His greatest contribution, though, was his fierce love and devotion to his family, imbuing them with his generosity, stability, strength and love.
Jofu’s legacy is the family he left behind.
Jofu passed away Saturday, November 24, 2012 at Holy Family Hospital, just ten weeks after his lung cancer diagnosis.
He is survived by his son Mark Thompson; daughter Marianne Mishima (Jim Eggers); grandchildren Brooklin Wilkerson (Chelsea), Courtney Herndon (Will), Nathan Eggers (Amber), and Rachel Eggers; his great-grandchildren Rylan, Treyvan and Nahlia Wilkerson; Liam and Quinn Eggers.
Jofu has one surviving sibling, Taro Mishima.
A Memorial Service will be held Friday, December 28, 2012 at 11 a.m. at Heritage Chapel, followed by an inurnment at Cherry Blossom Garden at Greenwood Memorial Terrace at 1 p.m.