Margaret Hiratsuka

Margaret Hiratsuka, age 97, passed away on December 31st at her home in Tucson, Arizona following a recent illness. Margaret was the fifth child born to Shinjiro and Tamano (Uyeminami) Morita in Seattle Washington in 1928.

Margaret’s family along with 120,000 other people of Japanese ancestry were removed from their homes and incarcerated without due process following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She spent her teen years from the age of 13-16 in Minidoka Relocation Camp in Jerome, Idaho. Margaret rarely spoke in detail of this part of her life. She did, however, record an oral history and leave a written account of this time.

Following the end of the war, family members were reunited in Chicago. Margaret met and married Frank Hiratsuka in June 1953. They bought a home in Morton Grove, Illinois where they raised their son John and founded Key Pharmacy. They were happily married for more than 60 years. Margaret worked as a pharmacist at Skokie Valley Hospital until her retirement.

Margaret and Frank had many friends and an active retirement. They traveled extensively. Margaret enjoyed Mahjong and Bingo, played in a ukulele band, and was an avid crafter. She helped found an investment club, was active at Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church (Chicago), and delivered Meals on Wheels. Following Frank’s death, Margaret moved to Tucson in 2015 to be near her son John and his family. Margaret resided at Mountain View Retirement Village until her death. She attended St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. Shortly after arriving in Tucson, Margaret met Cal Young who brought much happiness, love, and laughter to her later years.

Margaret is preceded in death by her parents, husband Frank, brothers Roy, Bill, Jim and George Morita, sister Ayako Ishizuka and dear companion Cal Young. She is survived by her son John (Diane), grandsons Tim Larsen (Bronwyn), and Nick Hiratsuka, great-grandchildren Brooke and Tatum Larsen, sister-in-law Yoko Morita, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A private Celebration of Life will be held later this month. Margaret’s ashes will be laid to rest beside those of her husband Frank’s in Memory Gardens Cemetery, in Arlington Heights, Illinois this summer.