Yuko Yoshitaka Aoki

September 27, 1925 ~ September 2, 2020

Yuko Yoshitaka Aoki, age 94 of Ogden, Utah passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 2, 2020.

Born in Sapporo, Japan on September 27, 1925 to Dr. Munagi Yoshitaka and Toshiko Nakano, Yuko was raised by her Grandmother Joo Nakano in Sapporo. She graduated from Fuji Women’s Academy in 1943. Yuko married Yoshiro (George) Aoki on September 12, 1948 at Sapporo’s Nakanoshima Jinja.

In February 1953, Yuko and her two sons flew from Sapporo via Honolulu, San Francisco, then to Ogden Regional Airport. There, she met her father, Dr. Yoshitaka for the first time in her life. Later in 1953, Yuko’s husband joined the family in Ogden, Utah.

Yuko was a very involved mother of six who kept busy, chauffeuring her children to their various activities while also taking English and sewing classes at night. She performed several Japanese Tea Ceremony demonstrations, taught elementary children how to fold origami, and dressed many in the traditional Japanese kimono for weddings and various events. Yuko was an avid cook and best known for her gyoza, chicken teriyaki and osekihan (pink rice) which she shared with her many friends. She was active in the Ogden Buddhist Temple and Fujin-kai (Women’s Association) and was a member of the Soroptimist International of the Americas. Yuko loved the arts and was a devoted supporter of the Utah Symphony and Ballet West.

Yuko had 6 children: Yoshio – Ogden UT; Minoru (deceased) (Sharleen) Las Vegas NV; Michael (Patricia) Cleveland OH; Lillian Aoki Narumi – Los Angeles CA; Jenny Aoki Nikaido (Douglas) Denver CO; James (Marisa) Ogden UT; 6 grandsons, 5 granddaughters, and 2 great-grandsons.

Yuko was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Toichi Thomas Yoshitaka and her son, Minoru.

A family service was held on September 19, 2020. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date. With gratitude, in lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated in the Memory of Yuko Aoki to either:

Ogden Buddhist Church

155 North Street

Ogden, Utah

or

The Colorado Ballet

1075 Santa Fe Drive

Denver, Colorado 80204