Thomas T Takekawa

Thomas "Tom" Tsuyoshi Takekawa, 86, of Rochester died peacefully on Friday, March 6, 2020, of cancer at home surrounded by family. Tom was born on November 5, 1933, in Seattle, WA to Yasuhei and Kaneji (Kakegawa) Takekawa. Tom's father passed away only months later. At 8 years-old in 1942, due to WWII hysteria against Japanese and Americans of Japanese descent, Tom was incarcerated with his mother and 2 older brothers in Camp Minidoka, ID. While his 2 older brothers enlisted in the US Army - Military Intelligence Service, Tom and his mother remained incarcerated for the duration of the war. After the war, they were released and his brothers moved them to live initially at Fort Snelling in St. Paul, MN getting his mom a job as a housemaid for an officer on base. After attending Minnehaha School and Bryant Junior High, Tom proudly graduated in 1952 from his beloved Minneapolis Central High School. His 1952 Centralian remained one of his most coveted possessions. Tom attended the University of Minnesota and received a degree in Sociology in 1956. In 1957, he enlisted into the US Army and served overseas in post-war Korea through late 1958. After his military service, Tom moved to Rochester for a position as a Case Worker for Olmsted County Social Services in 1959. He went on to attend Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH where he earned his Master of Social Work degree in 1964. Tom met Kiyomi Komuta from Japan while she was an exchange nurse at the Mayo Clinic. They married in Tokyo in 1966. The couple lived in Rochester, MN where Tom continued to work for Olmsted County as a social worker for 33 years. Throughout junior high, high school, and college, Tom loved singing bass in choirs and acapella groups. Continuing singing, he became the longest serving choir member of the Rochester Symphony Orchestra and Chorale from 1959-2012. He was also a member of the VFW, National Association of Social Workers, Toast Masters, and enjoyed his bowling league. Tom is survived by his wife, Kiyomi, of Rochester, MN; daughter, Lisa (CMike Litgen) Takekawa of Woodbury, MN; Mike (Amby Hart) Takekawa of Windsor, CA; three grandchildren, Ethan, Eilidh, and Marco; nieces, nephews, extended family in the US and Japan, and many good friends. He was preceded in death by both parents, one brother, three sisters-in-law, and many friends and relatives. Tom preceded his brother John A. Takekawa of Bloomington, MN who passed away on Nov 5, 2021. A Celebration of Life will take place at 1pm on Wed July 27, 2022, at the First Presbyterian Church in Rochester, MN. Coffee reception to follow. The service will be live streamed on the church's YouTube channel and can also be viewed any time after the completion of the service. A Twin Cities Celebration of Life will be held on Fri July 29, 2022, in the Ojibway Park Building at 2695 Ojibway Drive, Woodbury, MN. Food and refreshments from 3:30pm with an informal service and stories from 4:30pm (outdoor patio seating available). Interment will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Memorials will be used to setup an education/college fund for a child of a recently widowed immigrant single mother. Memorials may also be made to the Twin Cities JACL Scholarship Fund (Japanese American Citizens League). Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Takekawa family; to share a special memory or condolence, please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com