Obituary of Shizuko Moore

A Love That Endures Forever

On November 7, 2023, in Marina, CA, Shizuko Moore, age 97, transitioned to her new life in Heaven. She passed in the comfort of her own home surrounded by family.

A devoted mother, grandmother, and best friend to many, Shizuko or Susie was an avid swimmer, ballroom dancer, and bingo player. As an excellent cook to traditional Japanese cuisine, her house in her adopted hometown of Marina was often filled with the aroma of delicious food and green tea. Brightening the faces of those around her with her warm smile and enthusiastic personality, Susie made and maintained many friendships with people on the then Fort Ord Military Base. In her earlier years, she was able to travel the world landing in spots such as Korea, Germany, and Norway to name a few, nonetheless, she always made time for pitstops at her favorite casinos to try her hand at the slot machines. All in all, Susie lived a long rewarding life filled with a lot of love, laughter, and joy.

Born October 20, 1926, and raised in Hamacho, Nihonbashi, Tokyo to Kazuo and Iku Sase, Susie's teenage and early adulthood years came at the height of World War II when Japan was embroiled in intense fighting with the United States. Acting on the advice of her family, she narrowly escaped the air-raids and subsequent bombing of Tokyo to live in the countryside with her grandparents. By the time the war ended, she landed a job working as a saleswoman at a jewelry shop. While working one day she came across a handsome American soldier by the name of James Moore. As the story goes, James was looking for a gift to send to his girlfriend back in the States, however, the charm and elegance of Susie was far too captivating for him to ignore and before you knew it the gifts were diverted to Susie instead. In 1951, James and Susie married and then moved to the United States. In the years that followed, they welcomed in three children of their own: Richard, Linda, and Michael.

In addition to her children, Susie is survived by their respective partners Soledad, Robert, Alda, grandchildren Christopher (Sarah), Desiree (Ralph), Bobby, Aliyaah, Moriah, great-grandchildren James, Jaxten, Weston, and her beloved dog MoMo. Susie was preceded in life by her parents and her brother Takeji as well as her life partners Finn Anderson and Richard Grimes, both of whom provided her with an abundance of love and companionship in her later years. Special thanks to Hospice of the Central Coast and Dr. Richard King.