Akira Ichikawa passed away at his Lethbridge home on January 3, 2023 at the age of 84. Akira was born Feb. 1, 1938, in Seattle, WA, the third son and fifth child of Tatsuya and Yasashi Ichikawa. He is survived by a son, Andrew (Tahirih Rempel); and a daughter Maya (Marko Hilgersom); and six beloved grandchildren. He was predeceased by the love of his life, his wife Lorita, whom he married on September 23, 1961, and who died March 28, 2020, and his first-born son, Michael Tatsuya, on Dec. 24, 1976 at the age of 8.
When World War II broke out, Akira's father was detained separately and incarcerated in various American-style concentration camps until reunited with the family at an alien family internment center in Crystal City, TX. Meanwhile, Akira was detained with his family from 1942 in American-style concentration camps in Washington, Idaho and Texas, until March, 1946, at which time the family was allowed to return to Seattle.
Akira graduated from Garfield High School in Seattle, received his B.A. from the University of Washington, Seattle, then served in the U.S. Army Reserve in California and Georgia. He received his M.A. and Ph.D from the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis. He joined the University of Lethbridge as a professor in the Department of Political Science in 1968 and served in that role until his retirement in 1998.
His favorite activity was being with his family and grandchildren. He also enjoyed coffee breaks with his close friend, Ron Yoshida. He loved classical music and jazz, but it was in jazz which he listened to avidly from his teen-age years that he found the greatest joy and comfort. He was especially fond of the music of Count Basie and be-bop artists Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Among his prized possessions was his Canadian citizenship he received in 2007.
Sources:
Condolence Notice — Akira Ichikawa | Notice Board (ulethbridge.ca)