Tom Hiroshi Kishimoto

Tom was born in 1928 to Kazuo and Izumi Tomoshige Kishimoto. Tom spent his youth in Fresno, California learning to farm and enjoying the bountiful fruit grown in the area. He and his three siblings were sent to Hiroshima, Japan for a few years where he was raised by his grandmother. He attended school and became fluent in Japanese.

During WWII, he and his family were sent to the Gila River Relocation Center for persons of Japanese ancestry in Arizona. Before the war ended, at just 16 years old, tragedy struck. Tom’s father passed away and suddenly he became the head of the family. After the war ended the family was released from the camps and they made their way to Utah. They farmed and grew sugar beets in Syracuse. They lived in Kaysville until the expansion of I-15, and finally the Clearfield home Tom purchased for his mother.

Through all the trials and tribulations, there was always something better in store for him.

Tom was drafted and served his country during the Korean war. Via the GI Bill, he was the first in his family to attend college. He graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Utah. He found employment with RCA where he traveled the world helping to set up radar in far-off countries such as Liberia and Antigua. He was fortunate to work on a NASA project tasked with finding an appropriate coating for unmanned space capsules. He was able to see this project put on display at the Smithsonian Museum.

Tom eventually came back to his Utah roots and settled in Plain City. He was embraced and accepted by a special community that would come to adore and support him and his soon to be family of four. In 1968 he married Eiko Tsuda in Hiroshima, Japan. Soon after, he and Eiko welcomed a son and a daughter. At his home in Plain City, he continued his love of working the land and maintained a large garden. He grew delicious Japanese vegetables and his favorite strawberries and yellow watermelon. He often shared his harvest with friends and neighbors. His love of animals attracted them to his Plain City home. On many occasions he inadvertently “adopted” neighborhood cats that already had good homes.

Tom was a devoted member of the Buddhist Church of Ogden. He served as its president for 3-years. He always put in great effort to help the church members with many events such as Bazaar, Hanamatsuri, and Obon, as well as learning to trim the trees in a traditional Bonsai manner. He maintained close ties with the Japanese American community and enjoyed gatherings with the JACL, Hiroshima Kenjin-kai, and a Karaoke club.

Tom was always self-reliant and worked a variety of jobs throughout his long life. He was a farmer, truck driver, engineer, civil servant and tax preparer. He finished out his full-time career with the federal government, retiring from HAFB in 1989. Never one to rest on his laurels, he quickly pivoted and worked for more than a decade as a seasonal tax preparer for H&R Block.

Tom had many talents and skills, most of which were self-taught. He was meticulous in almost everything he did. You could see the attention to detail in the photographs he developed in his home dark room, the precise measurements of his woodwork, and the straight, even rows of his garden. He was a harmonicist, DIY auto mechanic, electrician, roofer, and master knife sharpener. He played sports such as baseball in a Japanese American community league and bowling. He enjoyed watching the Utah Jazz, and frequent trips to the Wendover casinos.

Tom always put up a good fight. At the age of 86, he was at death’s door battling sepsis. His odds of survival were slim but with the persistence of his family and dedicated medical staff, he managed to pull through. Unfortunately, this battle left him with severe visual impairment but with the help of the VA, he learned how to adjust to his new condition and relearned how to do basic tasks and how to use a computer. He became a grandfather at the age of 89 and was able to make one last trip to Japan at the age of 90.

At the time of his death, Tom was living near his son in Escondido, California. Special thanks to the medical staff at Redwood Terrace Skilled Nursing Facility Escondido who worked tirelessly to care for him over the last six months, as well as the medical staff at several Northern Utah facilities who miraculously saved him and helped him recover from sepsis 10 years ago, and the VA.

Thanks to our Plain City neighbors, Buddhist Church of Ogden, Japanese American community in Northern Utah and countless other kind friends.

Tom is survived by his wife, Eiko; his two children and their spouses one grandson, two nephews and three nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings.

Funeral services will be held on January 29, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the Buddhist Church of Ogden, 155 North Street, Ogden, UT, with Reverend Jerry Hirano officiating. Friends may visit with family on Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m. at the church. Interment at a later date at the Ogden City Cemetery.

In lieu of Flowers or Koden, please consider a generous donation to your favorite charity.

Tom’s favorite causes included: Utah Food Bank, Humane Society, Veterans Charities, University of Utah (Department of Engineering, Moran Eye Center, Huntsman Cancer Center), Buddhist Church of Ogden.

Condolences may be shared at: www.lindquistmortuary.com.