Obituary

Yoshie Ishizuka McManus
Born July 17, 1943
Died March 26, 2025

Yoshie was a beautiful, loving, loyal, tough and strong wife of 58 years to Raymond Dee McManus and dedicated mother of two—Gary Marshall McManus (58) and Roxanna Rae [McManus] Bryant (47) and grandmother to Jake, Stella, and Jensen.  Yoshie started her life in a post-World War II Japan as the daughter-instead-of-son her father never had.  Born of samurai lineage and a legendary and once very large fiefdom, she was the first of three girls—her sisters being Katsue and Mitsue.  Her mother died when she was 4 due to complications of childbirth and much later, after her father remarried, gained a half-brother.  She grew up tending to silk moths and the farm—not an easy life—but one with some very interesting stories.  Yoshie would recount stories of being happy to have a piece of bread to eat as a very young child.  It is why she took such great joy in life in feeding people whenever she could.  Yoshie left home to study and work at Keio University in Tokyo where she became a Licensed Practical Nurse.  A different, better life began to take shape.

Then suddenly, she was 23 years old.  In her own words, “The clock was ticking.”  She had just gotten off a cruise ship back from Okinawa.  On her taxi ride to the café at the Green Hotel, the driver told her about this new, popular song “Ballad of the Green Berets” that was playing on the radio.  So what does a stunningly beautiful, hip, young Japanese woman do?  She walks into the café, pops some yen into the jukebox, and listens to SSgt Barry Sadler sing.

That caught the attention of a young Airman who was stationed at Yokota AFB.  He too heard the clock ticking, but now… he heard the jukebox playing.  So Raymond turned and saw her for the first time.  Eventually they have coffee, discover that their birthdays are one day apart and think that must be special.  By the end of the conversation, there was a proposal and a “yes.”  They married on May 26, 1966.  It was a simple ceremony at the American Embassy in Tokyo.

In February of 1967, their son, Gary was born.  As time went on, Yoshie worked as a nurse in the cancer ward at a hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. Eventually, taking care of Gary and managing the household became her focus and she left nursing—never to go back.  In the fall of 1976, the family moved to base #4, Fairchild AFB, Washington and in December of 1977 Roxie was born.

She took Gary and Roxie to thousands of practices and lessons and game days and tournaments and parades and scouting trips, and… and… and… Not a single birthday, holiday, special event, or homework assignment was missed.  Everything was done right and better than everyone else—period.  Everything was precisely choreographed.  Roxie graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science and Masters in Public Health from UCLA, earned her Master of Corporate Real Estate and completed Executive Education at University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and built a great career and family.  Gary graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science from Pacific Christian College and has held project and program management roles in IT, construction and operations. Phrases like “Physics, Gary, physics!” and “Meet-uh-ball, salada” (ie “Meet the ball, solid-ly”) will forever bring a smile to our faces.

She supported dad’s 22.5-year Air Force career including 7 air force bases and 11 moves in 5 states and 2 countries.  Then she stayed the course during a subsequent 25-year career he had with Rockwell/Douglas/Boeing.  Then, after retirement, two final moves.  From humble beginnings to wealth, property, stable retirement, and a lasting legacy, Yoshie and Ray grew together, struggled together, built together, and remained together.  They always did the right things, right.  Gary remembers how they danced and partied and had fun in their early years. However, they matured and kept building.  There were some very tough times. But, as an adult now, Gary understands why.  Life is not easy.  Sakura, Sakura…

Recently, Gary asked what is the best thing that ever happened to her.  She said getting married and coming to the United States.  Thinking back, she was indeed a patriot.  She never once disparaged the USA.  She loved her life as a US Citizen.  In fact, I remember the day she took the Oath.  I remember what she wore that day and seeing all those people with their raised hands becoming citizens.  How strong she was.

She was a great wife and mom.  She sacrificed for all of us.  After military life, she had few long term friends due to the many moves, but she was a good friend and neighbor and anyone who knew her knew that she had a kind heart.  She did not collect jewelry, clothing, perfume, or things.  She was frugal.  She did a great many things over the years—often with dad.  She enjoyed Japanese bunka embroidery, sewing, knitting, crochet, and macrame.  Ultimately though, her treasures were her husband and her children and their accomplishments and later her grandchildren and their accomplishments.

Gary remembers her singing “Ame, Ame, Fure, Fure” and reading books at bedtime.  He remembers getting piggy-back rides from her and dad. He remembers her teaching math.  He misses the smells of her curry and freshly cooked rice.  He misses her infamous green Jello salad and “wafos” for breakfast.  He misses playing Yahtzee on the floor with her long into the night.  He remembers how she taught him to do things right and make it better each time.

Roxie remembers all the great, funny and weird things she loved: playing bingo, going with Ray to New Year’s Eve in Vegas, going with Ray to the speedway to watch funny car racing, watching Bob Barker and the Price is Right, watching The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, watching Japanese TV, staying up after midnight all the time, going to doctor’s appointments with military precision, eating fried shrimp, steak, oshinko and pickles, going shopping at Mervyns, Vons and Macys, writing checks almost to her dying day, putting every piece of paper/every equipment manual into a labeled envelope or folder with cryptic notes like “M” look in “R”, a filing system that only made sense in her mind, reheating the same cup of coffee throughout the day, always having a pot of rice in the rice cooker, hiding her government bonds and other important documents wrapped in tin foil in the freezer, having candy on hand at all times, listening to Johnny Cash records, having medications wrapped in tissues and rubber bands, hiding cash in every pocket of her purse and wallet, and throwing $20 bills at her kids and grandkids whenever she could.  She wanted to be prepared for every scenario. She even squirreled away money which we are forever thankful for because she was not to buy things, it was to save additional money for retirement and is what has helped to pay for their assisted living costs now.

She also was an expert in EVERYTHING (or so she thought): pro softball player, pro violinist, a doctor, a lawyer, a tax accountant, a mathematician, author, technical writer, whatever it was, she was the resident expert.

The best memory though was her always being there for everything and for ALWAYS expecting and pushing us to be better at anything we did. She was an Asian tiger mom and always wanted to do anything to support us being the best we could be. Yoshie loved her family and her life always revolved around that.  She loved hearing the stories of good times and wins and losses, new jobs, work accomplishments and activities for her kids and grandkids and loved living vicariously through their vacation photos and life stories.

Roxie was able to take her family and Jake to Japan last year for Spring Break and it was amazing for the family to connect with Yoshie’s family and see where she grew up and lived and see the beautiful old and new parts of Japan.  They were able to connect with their heritage and understand some of the complex history of Japan.  This was about 2 months before Yoshie’s diagnosis of metastatic ampullary cancer.  Seemed like weird timing.

Yoshie had a number of health ailments that prevented her from having complex surgery or chemotherapy, including diabetes, lupus, CHF, among others.  She had a stent placed that allowed her to live another 9 months.  She was given 6 months to live and Roxie truly believes she stuck it out longer because she was avoiding her kids birthdays, Christmas, New Year’s, and scheduled family vacations.  She was always so selfless, always thinking of everyone else, to her last minute.

We will all miss her so much.  She left us with countless memories.  She was such a fierce and dominating force that right now it feels like a sailboat without any sails or wind without her.

Dad and Gary had lunch at the restaurant at the assisted living facility the day they moved in.  They looked around the room and noticed how the women far outnumbered the men.  Then dad said “Yeah, I already found the only one for me.”  It was a sweet testimony that he loved her so much.  We love mom.  The grandkids loved their Grandma.  It’s a perfect ending to a wonderful, wonderful story.  Mom: Thank you for your dedication to your family and your love. Kamisama no megumi ga arimasu you ni.  May God’s blessings be with you.