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IN LOVING MEMORY OF Joshua Shimomura
Joshua
Shimomura
Jan 28, 1928 — Jun 3, 2016
Joshua Shimomura's Obituary
Rev. Joshua Shimomura, aged 88, died on June 3, 2016 at the Health Care Unit of Monroe Village.
Born Jan. 28, 1928 in Natividad, CA, he was the 4th of eight children of Japanese parents who had immigrated from Okayama Prefecture and engaged in farming in the Salinas Valley. As a youth, while interned in a relocation camp in Poston, AZ, during the war years, Joshua became involved in church leadership and felt the calling to become a Christian minister. In August 1944, his family was resettled on the East Coast, where his father was employed on a fruit farm in Riverton, NJ, run by a Quaker family. After graduating from Palmyra High School in June 1946, Joshua moved with his family to Princeton, NJ, where his father found work with Princeton Nurseries. That year Joshua set off for the College of the Ozarks in Arkansas. He finished his studies at Rutgers University, receiving a B.A. in English in 1953, and then attended Princeton Theological Seminary. In 1961 he graduated from the University of Dubuque with a Bachelor of Divinity. The Shimomura family is most grateful for the mentoring by Rev. Henry Heaps and Rev. Buddy Brixey, both former pastors of Kingston Presbyterian Church. Joshua was ordained at the Kingston Presbyterian Church when he received a call to ministry in Stillwell, OK. He later served the Japanese- American church in Seabrook Farms, Bridgeton, NJ. In 1965, he married Tazuko ("Toshiko") Eroh and lived happily in Kendall Park for many years. Toshiko and Joshua regularly attended the Japanese American United Church in New York City and were enthusiastic leaders in the church school and worship services. Over the years, Joshua was employed at various businesses in the Jamesburg, NJ area.
In Oct. 2009, he suffered the loss of his beloved wife Toshiko, and in July 2015, the loss of his younger brother Lincoln. Joshua had moved in Oct. 2012 to Monroe Village, eventually transferring from Independent Living to the Health Care Unit in Apr. 2015, where he was cared for until his death.
His hobbies included vegetable gardening, saltwater fishing, lettering, playing karuta, and travelling with his wife Toshiko to Japan. He especially enjoyed Toshiko's splendid Japanese cooking.
He is survived by 4 sisters: Toshi Hirose of San Francisco, CA, Sachi Furuya of Tokyo, Japan, Anne Moore of Indianapolis, IN and Mariko Shimomura of Princeton, NJ; and 2 brothers: Taro Shimomura of Rome, NY and David Shimomura of Columbia, MO; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 9, 2016 at 12 noon at the Kingston Presbyterian Church in Kingston, NJ, with burial at the church cemetery preceding it at 11 AM.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to: The Japanese American United Church (JAUC) at 255 7th Ave., New York, NY 10001 or The Kingston Presbyterian Church at 4565 Route 27, P.O. Box 148, Kingston, NJ 08528
Born Jan. 28, 1928 in Natividad, CA, he was the 4th of eight children of Japanese parents who had immigrated from Okayama Prefecture and engaged in farming in the Salinas Valley. As a youth, while interned in a relocation camp in Poston, AZ, during the war years, Joshua became involved in church leadership and felt the calling to become a Christian minister. In August 1944, his family was resettled on the East Coast, where his father was employed on a fruit farm in Riverton, NJ, run by a Quaker family. After graduating from Palmyra High School in June 1946, Joshua moved with his family to Princeton, NJ, where his father found work with Princeton Nurseries. That year Joshua set off for the College of the Ozarks in Arkansas. He finished his studies at Rutgers University, receiving a B.A. in English in 1953, and then attended Princeton Theological Seminary. In 1961 he graduated from the University of Dubuque with a Bachelor of Divinity. The Shimomura family is most grateful for the mentoring by Rev. Henry Heaps and Rev. Buddy Brixey, both former pastors of Kingston Presbyterian Church. Joshua was ordained at the Kingston Presbyterian Church when he received a call to ministry in Stillwell, OK. He later served the Japanese- American church in Seabrook Farms, Bridgeton, NJ. In 1965, he married Tazuko ("Toshiko") Eroh and lived happily in Kendall Park for many years. Toshiko and Joshua regularly attended the Japanese American United Church in New York City and were enthusiastic leaders in the church school and worship services. Over the years, Joshua was employed at various businesses in the Jamesburg, NJ area.
In Oct. 2009, he suffered the loss of his beloved wife Toshiko, and in July 2015, the loss of his younger brother Lincoln. Joshua had moved in Oct. 2012 to Monroe Village, eventually transferring from Independent Living to the Health Care Unit in Apr. 2015, where he was cared for until his death.
His hobbies included vegetable gardening, saltwater fishing, lettering, playing karuta, and travelling with his wife Toshiko to Japan. He especially enjoyed Toshiko's splendid Japanese cooking.
He is survived by 4 sisters: Toshi Hirose of San Francisco, CA, Sachi Furuya of Tokyo, Japan, Anne Moore of Indianapolis, IN and Mariko Shimomura of Princeton, NJ; and 2 brothers: Taro Shimomura of Rome, NY and David Shimomura of Columbia, MO; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 9, 2016 at 12 noon at the Kingston Presbyterian Church in Kingston, NJ, with burial at the church cemetery preceding it at 11 AM.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to: The Japanese American United Church (JAUC) at 255 7th Ave., New York, NY 10001 or The Kingston Presbyterian Church at 4565 Route 27, P.O. Box 148, Kingston, NJ 08528
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Funeral Services for Joshua Shimomura
Memorial Service
July
9
Saturday
Kingston Presbyterian Church
Starts at 12:00 pm
Joshua Shimomura's Guestbook
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