Obituary: Honda, Gary M.
Age 72
HONDA,
Gary M.
June 8, 1940 -
May 22, 2012
Gary Masakatsu Honda was born on June 8, 1940 to George M. Honda and Kazuko J. Honda in Spokane, Washington.
The oldest of five children, Gary grew up in Spokane where he attended Lincoln Elementary and Lewis and Clark High School.
After graduation, he joined the Washington State National Guard.
Then he attended Eastern Washington State College (now known as EWU) and graduated with a teaching degree.
He accepted a job as an elementary school teacher near Los Angeles, California and taught for 37 years at Prospect Elementary.
During his tenure, Gary received the honor of being in the Who’s Who of American Teachers for an outstanding performance as a teacher.
And, he received his Master’s Degree.
He loved teaching and was loved by his students.
When former students learned about his passing, nearly 100 of them met to pay a tribute to him and to personally thank his family for the role he played in their lives.
Gary had a gift of guiding students who may have been heading down a different path, by quitting school or joining a gang, instead he helped many to realize the importance of getting an education and finally graduating from high school.
Students remembered how his positive influence helped them to change their lives and the students told their stories to Gary’s family.
He helped to coach baseball, basketball, football and track for not only his students, but his own children, too.
And when he learned that a youth basketball league program was being eliminated, he helped to reorganize the program and the league is going strong to this day.
After he retired from teaching, he had more time to spend on some of his interests and hobbies such as golfing, basketball, bowling and fishing.
He was also quite active in the Nissei week in Los Angeles, an annual celebration by the Asian community.
He is survived by his wife, Linda; and their two children, Cary (Amy Sujishi) and Kathie; his mother, Kazuko Honda of Spokane, Washington (preceded in death by his father, George Honda); siblings, Alan (Sue) Honda (their four children and five grandchildren), Carole Fort (Frank Robertson) (their two children and one grandchild), Ron Honda, and Toni (Gene) Heyden (their three children and seven grandchildren).
Gary’s smile always lit up the room and he had a way of making you feel comfortable from the moment you met him.
He loved his family and friends and we will all miss him so very much.
A Celebration of Gary’s life will be held on Saturday, June 16,2012 at 11 a.m. at Wintersburg Presbyterian Church, 2000 N. Fairview St. Santa Ana, California.