Remembering Clara Sasaki Hattori, 1919-2022

| Obituaries | West Seattle news

The family of Clara Sasaki Hattori is sharing this remembrance:

Clara Sasaki Hattori, a longtime West Seattle resident, passed away on August 28th, 2022 after a brief illness. She was 103.

Her parents, Kokichi and Asa Sasaki, were Japanese immigrants who had a citrus orchard in Rocklin, California, which is where Clara and her 3 siblings (Mildred Iida, Jay and Ernie Sasaki) were born. Clara attended business school in San Francisco and was excited to be employed at the 1939 World’s Fair. Clara’s young adult life was interrupted in 1942 when she and her family were relocated to the Tule Lake Internment Camp along with other Japanese Americans. In 1943, with the sponsorship of an eastern Washington farmer, Clara was allowed to leave the internment camp. Clara married and had two children and she helped farm the potato fields in Moses Lake. From Moses Lake, she ventured to Seattle and lived in West Seattle for the last 58 years.

For those lucky ones who were acquainted with Clara, she shared her bright light and her feisty and warm personality. After retiring as an Executive Assistant in Univar’s corporate office, she was well known at the West Seattle YMCA for greeting members at the front desk and for her daily swims. In fact, she swam well into her nineties.

Clara traveled extensively after retirement and she especially loved to be in the water, whether it was in Hawaii or Lake Chelan. Her zest for life and good humor were infectious. Many will remember her Halloween costumes when she rocked out as Tina Turner or tipped her hat as Charlie Chaplin. And she was famous for her scrumptious Xmas cookies. Clara touched many people and she will be fondly remembered as being a special friend, kind auntie, loving mom to Karen Bocz and Richard Hattori, and the best grandma to Ross Hattori.

Many thanks to Providence Mount Saint Vincent for taking good care of Clara. For those who wish to honor Clara Hattori with a donation, remembrances may be made to the Providence Mt. St. Vincent Foundation in West Seattle or the West Seattle YMCA.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)

JW September 9, 2022 (9:42 am)

This great lady will be missed!

Katie B September 9, 2022 (10:23 am)

Clara was an amazing presence at the Y. My condolences to family and friends.

Joan September 11, 2022 (2:40 pm)

I worked many years at the Y with Clara and what a joy it was! I will always remember our times together with fondness and gratitude.

Karen September 9, 2022 (10:39 am)

Clara brightened so many lives. She radiated light, life well lived.

Wendy September 9, 2022 (12:31 pm)

Clara was a wonderful co-worker and friend! After I retired, we started a WS YMCA Retirees group, meeting quarterly for lunch. I went up to see Clara and invite her, saying I would pick her up. The next week, I got her in my car…she wasn’t entirely sure where we were going, or what we were going to do, but she was happy to be included and have lunch! At what was to be our last gathering before COVID, she told us all about being sent to Tule Lake and what it was like being there. I spoke with her on the phone on her 102nd birthday during quarantine and she was looking forward to being able to see family and friends in person…it couldn’t come quickly enough for her!Clara was wonderful and I will miss her.

Jim P. September 9, 2022 (1:15 pm)

I am sad when we lose such people but grateful their stories can be shared.

sc September 9, 2022 (4:41 pm)

“No one is ever truly gone as long as people tell stories about them!”

Jackie September 9, 2022 (6:28 pm)

Clara is an inspiration! My time spent in her company will always be treasured ❤️

Libra September 9, 2022 (10:29 pm)

Clara was truly amazing and fun…..she was always up for a new outing—young beyond her years! Loved and was loved ❤️

Amy September 11, 2022 (1:40 pm)

Claras smile, zest for life and movement and a piece of her soft spoken wisdom will forever be with me! Clara was the very first person in our strength and conditioning class at the Y, always a huge proponent and encourager who pulled many people in. She was a truly amazing genuine person, full of stories, experiences, life, happiness, humor, and wisdom. I always looked forward to seeing her smiling face and chatting with her at the Y, during our little gatherings, and seeing her wonderful ‘real body’, ‘bathing beauty’ picture presence in the locker room for so long. Clara will always be a true inspiration to me and many others! Much love and fond memories to all of Clara’s family and friends!

Ravina September 13, 2022 (12:39 am)

Clara will be missed during the night shift. She was always up walking around at night. She loved our company during the night. RIP beautiful soul.

Danielle Woodward September 18, 2022 (11:12 pm)

I had the pleasure of knowing this lovely woman my whole life. She was my grandma’s best friend and my special “Auntie Clara.” She was the sweetest, most genuine and loving woman l’ve known. She vacationed with us and taught me and my brother and cousins how to swim in Lake Chelan. I loved seeing her working at the Y! She’s always been a true inspiration and she will be missed dearly. This is the photo that hung in the woman’s locker room at the West Seattle YMCA for years. I thought she and the other ladies were rock stars for being photographed in their swimsuits!

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