Kazuko Irie May

Kazuko May, known to many as “May,” 91, of Logan, UT, passed away on October 1, 2024, in her home with family at her side.

Kazuko was born in Fukuoka, Japan, to Toshiro and Masara Irie but was raised by her grandparents, Torahi and Ewa Irie, after her father died in World War II. As a teenager and young adult, she worked in rice paddies and as an abalone diver. Later she became a seamstress. It was in a tailoring shop that she met Dennis May, an American serving in the US Navy in Japan. They married on May 5, 1963. In 1964, with limited English language proficiency, Kazuko immigrated to the US with her new husband and their infant son, Kimbo, settling in Santa Barbara, CA. They welcomed a daughter, Takiko, in 1967. Kazuko and Dennis later divorced; Kazuko never remarried.

In California, Kazuko raised her children and worked as a nursing assistant in a nursing home while Dennis was in college. She later moved to Boise, ID, where her parents-in-law helped her settle after her separation from Dennis. She worked as a dietary aide and a housekeeper in a hospital, then for nearly 20 years as a certified nursing assistant in a nursing home, and lastly as a personal caregiver for several elderly individuals, helping them remain in their homes as they aged. This led her to develop great respect for the hard work and efforts of medical caregivers of all types. Given that she had many medical issues, she got to meet a lot of healthcare professionals. She often said, “I don’t like going to the doctor—all they do is tell you there are more things wrong with you!” But she was grateful for the excellent care she received, and it kept her going for 91 years.

Kazuko lived in many places including Mobile, AL, Albany, OR, and Corvallis, MT, as she moved with her daughter starting in 1998, but she declared Logan was her favorite because she made many wonderful friends who enriched her life. She enjoyed sewing with the Tuesday Stitchers group in Albany and on her own, crocheting and knitting, casino trips, and spending time with family and friends. She especially enjoyed summer trips to visit with extended Vawter family, which included trips to the Vawter family cabin on Lake Coeur d’ Alene in northern Idaho.

Friends and family (usually) appreciated her direct and succinct conversations imbued with humor, though some things occasionally got lost in translation. Those who had the honor of knowing her well benefitted from her caring and thoughtfulness.

She is survived by her son, Kimbo May and daughter-in-law, Wendy (Vawter) May, of Spokane, WA, and her daughter, Takiko (Taki) May and son-in-law, John Ewing, of Wellsville, UT.

Her family extends heartfelt thanks to the team at Williamsburg Retirement Community for their tender care over the last year and a half, and the team of Intermountain Hospice, who ensured her comfort and dignity in her final months.

There will be no funeral at Kazuko’s request. A celebration of her life will be held on Friday, October 18, 2024, from 1:30 to 3:30pm in the second-floor activity area of Williamsburg Retirement Community, 132 West 300 North, Logan, UT. All are welcome to drop in to share stories and dessert.