<Begin Segment 19>

PW: The other involvement was that Bob was very active in the United Church. Can you tell me about what he did at the United Church?

SK: Oh, United Church, he was still at the United Church every week, shuuho, everything writing, Bob have to do it.

PW: So this was a newsletter from --

SK: Newsletter from United Church, yes. Because of course, computer was out, Japanese, too, but nobody could use it. So right now, they're using a computer, what they call Soft Word or something, Japanese, so it's clean and nice. So before he passed away, before three weeks, doing, he was so tired. I kept his newsletter, because the writing is getting little sloppy. So I looked at Bob's writing, so I said, "Why don't you quit? Aren't you tired?" Oh, he said he's tired. "Go tell the reverend, tell Reverend Aihara to, you can't do anymore. Why do you have to do it?" I didn't know he's gonna pass after that three weeks, you know. "Nande, shinu made shinakute naranai no," I said to him. [Laughs]

PW: What she said was, "Why do you keep doing it 'til you die," but without knowing that three weeks later, he did pass away. But I guess he was getting pretty tired by that time.

SK: Oh, yeah, he was very tired. Because he usually come to our flower show, that time was Professor Yoshioka was here, so I was out most of the time, and he wants to come and United Church, Mr. Yamasaki wants take him. He usually bring osushi and everything to Bob, you know. But he said no, he can't sit still because he gets so tired. So up and down is no good a demonstration or something. So he didn't come. But when he took the Professor Yoshioka to airport and come home and take Bob to the hospital. Because Donna was doing everything behind me, because the last, when we went to... which hospital? No, not the Willowdale. What's that... close that hospital? Anyway, he was there and the doctor was looking after him. He didn't come and Donna, Bob came out and that time he was in a wheelchair; he can't walk. So anyway, doctor wants Donna to talk. So, and the nurse went, talked a long time. So I thought, "That's funny. What's going on?" But Donna and Toshi didn't say anything to me. And went into the Bayview... what do they call it... the Jewish...

PW: Baycrest?

SK: Baycrest, yeah, and that place, you have to just wait for dying. I didn't know that, either. Bob said that if he goes into the hospital, maybe he'll get better. This is why, he doesn't want to go into the hospital, this is another thing. So he wants to stay home. But the last minute, he said, of course, Donna was, I think, talking, maybe Bayview is closed, so, "Why don't you go?" But he didn't say, but after I came back from airport, he said, "Yeah, byoin ni hairu," he said. So when we went in, one week, he ate well -- he likes hospital food, is the funny part. I don't like hospital food, but Bob think, "Oh, it's so good. Their cooking is good." And the one week he ate everything, but the second week, no. So, and Donna knows, so she all ready for the funeral and everything, she was by him, herself, but he didn't even talk to Jerry. So Jerry was, "Why didn't you tell me Daddy was that bad?" "But if you, if I tell, everybody's face is different, so Daddy could notice right away," she said. "That's why we didn't say anything." So... well, he went peacefully, because the last day, Friday, Reverend Aihara and Mr. Taira even Sid Ikeda was, came to see. And that time, Bob doesn't want to talk too much, but when Sid said, "Okay, Bob, take care, I'll come again." And he went out, but he woke up and called Sid, talk about the Cultural Centre. "Look after the Cultural Centre," I think he said that. And the next morning he passed away.

PW: I think Sid mentioned that it was Bob that really got him involved in the Cultural Centre.

SK: Yes.

PW: And I think actually said it's carrying on a great tradition at the, at the Cultural Centre.

<End Segment 19> - Copyright © 2005 Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre and Densho. All Rights Reserved.