Isamu Murakami

March 27, 1928 – October 7, 2024

Isamu Murakami was born to Chokichi and Tsugi Murakami, in the Ewa Sugar Plantation in 1928, in House #40 in "A" Village. He was the youngest of 9 children, each born 2 years apart. He always mentioned that Ewa was a great place for kids to grow up. Isamu always loved dogs. His first 2 were Curly and Brownie. Brownie was famous throughout Ewa. He was so obedient he would follow Isamu to school and wait outside his classroom every day. He has had many dogs since.

Isamu was 13 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He remembered the planes flying so low he could see the faces of the pilots as they were waving to them to get away. Shortly after the attack his brothers Tadao, Shige, and Masami joined in the Army and were stationed in Europe with the 442nd Infantry. His eldest sister Helen, also joined the Army Nurse Corps, and was also sent to Europe. The Murakami family were very lucky that all 4 members of the family returned home alive and their names are on the "Go For Broke" Monument in Los Angeles.

Isamu graduated from Waipahu High School in 1946 and served 3 years in the Air Force. While stationed in Hiroshima, Japan, he experienced seeing snow for the first time. Isamu used his GI Bill and got his electrical engineering degree from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. In 1954, he married a corn-fed, red-headed, hazel-eyed Milwaukee girl named Doris. She lived next door to the boarding house he was staying in.

After graduating, he and Doris headed off to California to work for Northrop Aircraft, in Hawthorne, California. During those years he had such a secret clearance, he worked in the secret room of the secret room on the SR-71 Blackbird. He would help to navigate this stealth plane by using the stars, because they did not have satellites at that time.

During this time, they had 3 daughters, and finally a son! May (Joe) Gonzalez, Cindy (Mike) Dye, Sandra (Terry) Gardiner, and Stanley (Joy) Murakami.

Isamu worked for 33 years, retired in 1989 living in Torrance, Calif. During his retirement he collected many stories of his hometown Ewa and is a wonderful historian of the many events at the sugar plantation. He also created a family genealogy book of the Murakami family starting with the story of his father, who arrived in Hawaii in 1907.

Isamu is survived by his 3 daughters, and son, mentioned above, seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson.

Isamu and Doris had been married for 64 years upon Doris's passing. He was also preceded in death by his grandson, Ethan.

Our dad will be remembered for his generosity and a wonderful provider for his family. He loved and missed our mom so deeply these past 2 1⁄2 years since her passing. Our family are comforted knowing they are together. Private service will be held for family members only.