ROY MIZUNO

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Roy Mizuno, who left us peacefully, surrounded by his loving family. Forever remembered and always loved by his wife Sue of 59 years, children, Gary (Linda), Val (Todd), Sharon (Trevor), and grandchildren Haley, Shea, Kai, Chloe, Emi, Grace, Sarah and Jessica. Family was so important to Roy and he cherished his close relationships with his siblings, Jim, Jack, Aiko, Tom, George and his many nieces and nephews.

Dad was born in Ocean Falls, BC on February 14, 1937. In June of 1966, he married his loving wife, Sue. Roy and Sue had a true partnership and together they shared many milestones while starting their family and raising three kids.

Dad was an automotive teacher at Kildonan East Regional Secondary School from 1977 and retiring in 1998. His time teaching was fulfilled by his students. He was highly respected by staff, students and impacted the lives of many. He was understanding, encouraging and supportive of his students’ abilities, which continued well past his retirement, where students often reached out to him to ask for his advice and share their successes.

Dad had a passion for sports. Monday night football was a priority, especially when the Cowboys were playing. As an avid golfer and long-time member of Rossmere Golf Club, he played up to 70 rounds a year as a single handicap golfer. He was a lifelong fan of Tiger Woods, knowing every detail about him. He travelled with his son to the Congressional Golf Club for the US Open which was one of the highlights of his life.

His love for golf was evident as he spent hours at the driving range, analyzing the swings of professional golfers. Additionally, Dad was an accomplished bowler representing Manitoba and shared many fond memories with his friends during this time. He also found joy in supporting student teams at Kildonan East, where he coached high school hockey, golf and volleyball, even organizing the first high school hockey and golf tournaments in Winnipeg.

Dad cherished our summer vacations when our family of five would take a road trip every second summer to visit his brothers and their families in Toronto. Dad would drive every trip and always made sure to include fun and exciting places for us to visit along the way. Over the years, Dad enjoyed travelling with mom to various places including Hawaii, Vancouver, Biloxi and Bermuda. Everyone knew how much dad loved his casino trips, his favourite being Las Vegas, where he visited several times. He also had fun travelling to various casino destinations with Sue and friends.

Some of Dad’s other favourite pastimes were listening to Elvis Presley especially while driving in his car, searching for the best grocery deals so he could price match items and following Barack Obama’s career. Talking on the phone with his brothers and sister was a weekly event that he looked forward to, especially calling his brother Tom to discuss weekly NFL highlights and trades.

His greatest joys came later in life as he cheered for his grandkids in their extracurricular activities and sporting events, proudly being their biggest fan. Dad had a special bond with his grandkids. He was always on the phone with them, facetiming and laughing as he was updated on their daily lives. Distance never kept him apart from his daily conversations with his grandkids and he loved the time they spent together. Dad put his family first, he was selfless, he lived up to strong morals and his love was always unconditional. He lived his life to these high standards and instilled lifelong lessons about the value of honesty, generosity, respect, and kindness. He was the one person that everyone could count on and never expected anything in return. We will forever remember his laugh and big smile that would light up the entire room.

Rest in peace Dad, your legacy will continue as we carry the lessons that you taught us. You will be deeply missed and forever loved as we all hold you close to our hearts.

Donations can be made in his memory to the Japanese Cultural Association of Manitoba (JCAM) or to CancerCare Manitoba.

Special thank you to Dr. Kelly Kaita, Dr. Paul Daeninck, nurses Ashlee and Shawna for their support and care.

A private family service will take place at a later date.

Roy’s family kindly requests that all of his friends and relatives take a few minutes to honour his memory by sharing photos, memories, and stories, using the comment section on this page.

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ETHICAL DEATH CARE

Cremation & Life Celebrations

530 St. Mary Avenue - Winnipeg

204-421-5501 - www.ethicaldeathcare.com

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