Toshio Sato

Toshio Sato In my work as a hospice chaplain I am far too often reminded that there is not enough time in the world to meet every amazing person. Toshio Sato is one of those people. I did not meet Toshio while he was on hospice but was honored to sit down with his wife, Nancy, in their home and learn more about a man she describes as good looking , strong, hard-working, dependable, and, for better or for worse, one who lived with strong convictions. Toshio lived life with an eye for opportunity. At the age of 21, in 1961, he came from his native Japan to California where he worked on farms. While there he learned English at a night school and picked up Spanish on the job. He would eventually meet Nancy in Canada in 1967 during his time in Guelph, Ontario learning about dairy farming. This lovely couple married in 1968 in Japan and lived with Toshio' s family. After the births of their children, Jay and Erika, it became important for Toshio to give his children a better opportunity in their education and so after 4 years of marriage and life in Japan, Toshio and his family moved back to North America settling in California where their third child, Marianne, was born. What may not be clear to many is that for Toshio, as the chonan-the oldest son responsible for the care of his parents-he broke tradition by leaving them in the care of the 3rd brother. Japan was behind the times during that time-period and so, he made the difficult decision , for the sake of his own young family, to relocate. Years later he would honor his mother and father after their deaths by buying back their home to keep it in the family. Nancy and Toshio would finally settle here in Oregon in 1993 so Toshio could live out his dream to ranch. I loved hearing in his story that although he moved away from his home land, Toshio brought a bit of Japan to the West in his career landscaping beautiful Japanese gardens and building koi ponds. When he wasn't outdoors creating peaceful spaces he was indoors teaching the Japanese martial art of Judo which means " gentle way." Having earned his first black belt in high school and making his way finally to a 3rd degree black belt, he brought years of experience into his instructions. According to Kano Jigoro, founder of Judo, "Judo is the way to the most effective use of both physical and spiritual strength. By training you in attacks and defenses it refines your body and your soul and helps you make the spiritual essence of Judo a part of your very being. In this way you are able to perfect yourself and contribute something of value to the world. This is the final goal of Judo discipline." I have no doubt that Toshio in his life did just this, perfected himself and contributed things of great value to those around him-to his wife, his three children and their spouses, his 6 grandchildren, and all who have been touched in some way by him. Let us now continue our time together today by sharing stories of Toshio. By Chaplain Rebecca Delzell, Spiritual Care Councelor