Obituary of Oscar Okazawa

On April 12, 2025, Oscar Masaaki Okazawa, passed away peacefully in his sleep, at the Palliative Care Unit of Northumberland Hills Hospital, Cobourg. He is survived by his loving wife Sally Shizuyo (née Komada) Okazawa and three daughters Emmy Okazawa-Bortolin, Marie Sirdevan (Rick) and Victoria Okazawa (Lydia). Oscar doted on and was very proud of his large brood of grandchildren including Daniel (Michelle), Nico (Bren), Torrey (Antoine), Edward (Elina), Gordon (Kaitlyn), Erica (Ravi), Frank and Maya. In late 2023, he and Sally became great-grandparents to Paul Masaaki Bortolin. Then his latest pride and joy, Koa Elis Vautherot, joined the family in late 2024.

Oscar is also survived by his brother, Kenzo (Yumiko) and sister, Michiko (late Katsuyoshi). He also leaves nephews and nieces, Koichi, Seiji, Takeshi, Hitomi, Mikiko, Seishi, Jun, Kazuki, Kenta, Tetsuya, Ayuko, Katsuhiko and Akira. He was predeceased by his parents.

The eldest son of Torotaro and Mineko Okazawa, Masaaki always had a taste for adventures and challenges. Born August 18, 1935 in Osaka, Japan, he witnessed the ravages of WWII, was separated from his family and sent to safety with extended family in rural communities. From an early age, he was a gifted storyteller and loved to spin tales, sometimes real-life experiences, sometimes embellished Japanese folk tales that would often scare the dickens out of everyone. And how he loved to write! As fate would have it, writing is what led him to Shizuyo, his high school pen-pal, who later became his devoted wife. He went on to study English Literature at Osaka University. They seemed an unlikely pair, given her dislike of English and anything to do with writing. However, he continued to produce reams and reams of sharp witted correspondence, in response to her brief letters and eventually won her heart. Despite earning a modest living, they started a family in Osaka and then moved to Hiroshima. But not before chasing his first dream – to study abroad and improve his English. He sailed from Kobe to San Francisco via Tokyo on the America Maru and then hopped on the Greyhound to Appalachian State Teachers College in Boone, North Carolina as an early iteration of the international student. Back from his big adventures in America, he first taught English in an Osaka high school. Then he secured employment in Kobe at the Mitsubishi Shipyards Company, as an English interpreter for the international sales team. There, he would have been set for life, as is typical in Japan. However, this frequent exposure to using the English language in his work, only fueled his passion and drive more to reach for his ultimate dream – to live in North America.

The young family of four arrived in Toronto, in the midst of a cold, Canadian winter.  Through years of hard work and struggle, they survived the challenges that many immigrants experience. Together, with love and determination, they created the new generations of the Okazawa family.  For over three decades, Oscar became a recognizable face at Port Hope High School, first as an English teacher, then as a passionate Geography teacher, adventurous explorer and chaperone of March break field trips to Europe, and proud coach of the Judo Club. For years, he spent every weekend teaching Japanese to second and third generation, Japanese Canadian students in Toronto. As if that weren’t enough, he and his wife started one of the first Kumon After-School Math and Reading Programs in Canada. This became a family business as all three daughters participated as educational assistants during the busiest times of their Kumon career.

As a life-long traveller, Oscar would never miss the chance to take the family on a road trip. Almost every school break or summer holiday was meticulously mapped out. The Okazawas visited practically every KOA camp site from PEI to BC and traversed the American states while learning about the history and geography, of each notable destination.

Oscar was a sports lover of not only judo, but baseball, marksmanship, fishing and golf. Whatever new interest he took on, it was usually with an “all-or-nothing” zeal. This is apparent in his not one but THREE hole-in-ones at what became his second home, the Dalewood Golf Club. For decades, he and his foursome buddies would open the course almost everyday at 6 am for their regular rounds of 18 holes.

Oscar also had natural, artistic talents. Despite having no formal music training, he played songs by ear, like no one’s business. While his daughters spent endless hours practising scales, he would just sit at the piano, usually in the dark, with an upside-down newspaper on the music stand (just for appearances) and effortlessly produce all kinds of music, from his beloved jazz standards to well-known Japanese melodies and even the latest pop tunes that he had only ever heard on the radio. Throughout his life, he excelled at recreating cartoon characters and intricate drawings for newsletters, Kumon folders and other teaching materials. 

The travel bug stayed with him, well into retirement, as Oscar and Sally continued to take trips and cruises to a variety of countries across Europe and North America, and of course, many visits to their homeland of Japan.

Dad, we will miss you terribly, but you will be remembered and loved forever.

Heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to the incredible staff at Northumberland Hills Hospital for all your support and care. 

The Okazawa family would like to install a memorial bench at Dalewood Golf Club in honor of Oscar. If you would like to make a donation towards the bench, please e-transfer eobortolin@gmail.com with the note "For Oscar".