Frank “Jay” Satoshi Sasagawa
March 26, 1926-July 25, 2024
Palo Alto, California
Submitted by Darrell Sasagawa

Frank Satoshi Sasagawa, 98, of Palo Alto, California passed away on Thursday, July 25, 2024. Frank, known by his family & closest friends as “Jay”, was born on March 26, 1926, in Menlo Park, California, to Frank Kenichi and Kiyoko Sasagawa. Frank truly was a Bay Area native in every sense of the word, calling it his home for nearly his entire lifetime. He was the youngest of four children and lived in Menlo Park, California until the outbreak of World War II, when he and his family were removed from the west coast of the United States, and sent to the Tanforan Assembly Center, and later inland to Topaz, Utah, one of several federal internment camps, along with of thousands of Japanese Americans. On April 25, 1954, Frank married the love of his life, Susie Masuda, in San Francisco, California. Together they raised three children: Tara, Jeff & Darrell, in the College Terrace neighborhood of Palo Alto, California, all of whom still live in the Bay Area. All throughout his life, Frank loved sports. He was an avid bowler, played and coached basketball. He also organized and served as the director and head official for the Northern California JACL Junior Olympic Track & Field meets for many years. He also loved taking family ski trips to Lake Tahoe, where his entire family would spend many winter weekends. However, Frank’s true athletic pursuit was golf. In his early adulthood he developed his skills, and won many trophies and tournaments. This love of golf would go on to become a lifelong passion. Amazingly he golfed right up to the ripe old age of 98, including a round with his son Jeff as recent as the first week in June this year. His love of sports lives on through his children, as they all have continued with their own athletic endeavors into their adult lives, continuing Frank’s legacy of athletic achievements. Frank was a very proud individual. He was proud of his Japanese American ancestry. He was proud of his many work accomplishments at The West Bay Sanitation District where he spent his entire career. But nothing gave him more pride than his family. He always put family first and spared nothing to see that everyone was happy. In his later years his mantra became “Family Unity”, nothing was as important as “Family Unity”. It was an expression that he would repeat at every family gathering, and it always brought a smile to everyone’s face. Frank was truly an accomplished engineer and loved to take on any many projects ranging from building his daughter her own custom life-sized playhouse in their backyard, to adding on an extensive addition and remodel to his College Terrace home, to building numerous bicycles and other projects in the garage for his two young boys. No truer words could be said about Frank other than the bond with his bride Susie was one for the ages; second to none. To be honest, they were inseparable. There really was no “Jay” without Susie. They were, simply put, and to everyone who knew them; Jay and Susie. After his children had grown and started their adult lives, Frank and Susie took up tennis & ballroom dancing and spent many hours on the courts and attended countless dances all around the Bay Area. Susie was a graceful dancer, and Frank did his best not to step on her toes. It goes without saying that they are once again reunited and finally dancing that long awaited waltz in the sky. Frank leaves behind: his daughter, Tara Kiyomi and her husband Greg; son Jeffery Dean, his wife Gale, and granddaughter, Nicole Miya; and youngest son Darrell Jay and his wife Yuki. He was preceded by his lovely bride of 66 years, Susie, brother William, and sisters: Bess, and Katherine. A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on August 18, 2024, at The Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Palo Alto, California. Palo Alto. 4243 Manuela Ave Palo Alto, CA 94306.