This petite little woman excelled academically as a teen and young adult living in Japan and was a natural born leader where in Sugiyama Girls High School she was appointed as student body president.
She valued education
highly and was willing to commute to school from the countryside into
the big city of Nagura by bicycle, bus and street trolley followed by a long walk
each day rain or shine, in the bitter cold or stiflingly humid Japanese
heat. She loved music and acting and had a beautiful soprano voice. She
enjoyed participating in various choirs and acting troops throughout her
adolescent and young adult life.
She met the
missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while still in Japan and soon after her baptism she moved to the U.S. to further her education. During her time in
Los Angeles she was known as Grace Idehara and attended Los Angeles City
College before transferring to UCLA where she earned a bachelor's
degree in Geography in 1964. Although she came to the U.S. as an adult
she had near native English pronunciation.
Junko married the very tall, handsome Masaru Tom Shimizu in the Los Angeles, California Temple in 1964 and brought 4 sons - Tim, Scot, Mark and Joshua - into the world! Tim and Kelly were very close in age when we moved into the Brentwood Ward, but Scot and (I think) Mark came along later, both with a long, thick shock of black hair from the minute of their arrival on earth.
Junko and I would frequently arrange time together - often with other young mothers and kiddos - for a walk and time spent with the kids in a neighborhood park. It was a wonderful time of getting better acquainted and sharing Mom stories.
A few months ago, Tom and Junko were traveling through St. George on their way to SoCal and stopped for a gathering of a few Brentwood friends for lunch at the Pizza Factory. She was my usual happy, friendly sister, so I was totally shocked to hear of her passing.
Junko (we knew her as Grace) led a life of service devoted to God, family, her community and many people who were her friends.
She served 2-years as a proselytizing missionary in Yokohama and Sapporo, Japan (1957-1959); 3 years as Supervisor in the Japan Central Mission Relief Society, Young Women and
Children's Organizations during her
husband's tenure as mission president (1971-1974); 2 years as
Companion to the President of the Japan Missionary Training Center
(1996-1998) with a 3-month interlude as Companion to the Interim Mission
President in the Sapporo Japan Mission (1996).
In 1998, she served 6 months as Companion to the Interim Mission President in the Nagoya Japan Mission in (1998); and, 18 months as Companion to the Public Affairs Director in Japan (2001-2003).
She
also served the women of her church as a member of the
Relief Society General Board from 1974 to 1984. In addition, she served
in many ward and stake callings.
She was active in civics and
politics on various boards and committees such as the Women's State
Legislative Council, Japanese American Citizens League, YWCA, Women's
Republican Club, Salt Lake Council of Women, etc. and was a tireless
advocate for her husband's campaigns for Salt Lake County and U.S.
Congressional offices.
She was a patriotic American citizen and
was especially proud of being co-chair of the Days of '47 Parade float
"Britain Honors The Constitution" that won first place in the historical
float division in 1987.
Her public affairs mission was an
exciting and fulfilling time as it coincided with the Salt Lake City
Winter Olympics. She helped answer questions from national media
outlets about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as
questions about Utah in general.
Her general board assignments
took her to various places throughout the U.S. and East Asia to train
and teach local leaders. One life she touched on her travels was a man who approached her after she spoke at a meeting. He
told her how he had struggled to let go of the hate he felt towards the Japanese people
for decades since World War II but after he heard her speak,
the hate finally left him and he was able to feel at peace.
Junko
loved the people she served and with whom she served. She looked forward to
reunions and visits when people came in from out of town. Family trips
were packed with visits to former mission companions, church members,
friends and family including distant relatives as she enjoyed family
history work. As part of her genealogical work, she would go beyond just
finding data but would search out stories and living descendants in
order to deepen and broaden family ties.
Junko is survived by
her husband Masaru Tom Shimizu, sons Timothy (Valentina), Scot (Cara),
Mark and Joshua, granddaughters Naomi, Elisabeth, Christiana and Sofia,
and brothers Hidetoshi (Kieko), Tetsuo (Noriko) and Masatake (Michiko).
You will be missed forever, dear Sister Junko!
