George Masaharu Shimada

George Masaharu Shimada, 96, of Missoula, passed away at The Springs at Missoula of natural causes Feb. 6, 2014. He was born in Seattle to Masato and Sato Shimada on March 3, 1917. At the age of 3, he was sent to Japan to be raised by his Uncle Toda in Hiroshima. One of his first work experiences was making deliveries on a bicycle for his uncle's company that would become part of the Mazda Corporation.

In his late teens he returned to Seattle, leaving two siblings in Japan and joining his father, mother and four siblings he had never met until then. He worked as a dishwasher for a skid row café, and a house boy for a wealthy couple while attending business school. He spent three summers in Alaska in a fish cannery to save up money so he could move to Los Angeles, where he established a street produce market. He often described that he "had made it" when the nearby defense factory went on 24-hour shifts and the employees were coming to his market on their break to purchase produce since his market was also open 24 hours a day. However, Pearl Harbor abruptly ended that business.

Prior to being sent to the Gila River Japanese-American concentration camp, George married Matsuye Taksuagawa on March 28, 1942, so they could be together along with Matsuye's mother and three sisters in the same camp. George never served in the U.S. military because he was classified F4 for being too short. However, during encampment he never lost his loyalty to the United States by sewing camouflage netting for the U.S. military and building models of Japanese battleships that the U.S. Air Force and Navy used for identification and bombing training.

Near the end of the war, he was on his way to Chicago to establish a new future when he stopped in Omaha, Neb., and found a small group of Japanese families. George started work in Omaha painting faces on porcelain kewpie dolls that were sold to a small Japanese owned company, Oriental Trading Company (OTC). Matsuye joined him in Omaha, where they started a family. He soon was hired on at OTC. That small company became the national mass mail order company from which many have received a catalog in their junk mail. George had the idea and took the pictures, typed the text, and rubber-glued the master of their very first catalog. He was instrumental in the early growth of the company.

After more than 30 years with OTC, George retired. He and Matsuye moved to Camarillo, Calif., to be closer to Matsuye's sisters who lived in Los Angeles. George enjoyed a life of golfing every day and soaking in the warm weather. But Matsuye did not like the fog almost every morning and they missed seeing old-time friends from Omaha.

George and Matsuye once again packed up and moved to Sun City of Las Vegas. As George used to say he liked "the action," and they could meet up with family and old friends coming to Las Vegas on their vacations. Matsuye enjoyed the clear, sunny days. Unfortunately, Matsuye's health declined to a point where one more move was endured to be closer to immediate family in Missoula.

Both did not like the cold and snow of Montana, but they made the best of it. George and Matsuye lived with son and wife, Gerry and Betty, for a time in Montana. Both George and Matsuye lived their final years in The Springs at Missoula, first Matsuye and then George his last two years. During their stay at the Springs they developed many passing acquaintances with staff and residents.

George is survived by son Jeffrey M. Shimada of Manassas, Va.; second son Gerry Y. Shimada and his wife Betty of Missoula; grandson George H.Y. (Angela) Shimada of Sturtevant, Wis.; granddaughter Cindy M. (Dana) Anderson of Marion, N.C.; and five great-grandchildren. As the second oldest sibling among seven brothers and sisters, he leaves many cousins, nephews and nieces in both Japan and the United States.

George's ashes will be inurned in Seattle beside Matsuye, and George's mother and father. There will be a small family service in Seattle when the weather warms up.
Read George Shimada's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.