Mabel Matsuna Takimura Okamura - Obituary

Today we lost a treasure, a diamond in the rough, Mabel Okamura. She was the youngest of four, which is probably what created such a feisty spirit in her. Surprisingly, though born on Oahu, she never learned to swim. But she had ohana ingrained in her spirit. In her single years, she worked in Chicago and Japan before settling in Los Angeles. In Japan, she and her roommate girlfriend would buy steaks on payday but end up sharing a ramen packet on the last day of the month. They had the time of their lives together! Both Mabel and her husband, Teruo, were born on the Hawaiian islands. She truly enjoyed having their brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews over for holidays, summer vacations, or stops on the way to Vegas. Sometimes she and dad would join them going to Las Vegas. And this woman was LUCKY! Whether it was from the new frog or jade elephant pendant, Mabel won many “free” rooms at the California Club in Vegas for her amazing knack at getting a Royal Flush on poker machines! She was the Queen of Hearts.

She was blessed to have her daughter Kristin move home with them years ago. It was especially helpful when they became Grandma and Grandpa O and Auntie Krissy! They had their hands full with 1-2-3-then 4 grandkids that loved Chuck E Cheese, Knotts Berry Farm, the Orange County Fair, Nickel Nickel and L& L shaved ice! And, like all good grandmas should, she had her “bag” full of snacks, drinks and goodies to keep little people happy til mealtime. As the kids got older, she taught them how to make spam musubi, inari, and her famous ribs and macaroni salad.

She, Dad and Krissy continued to be an active and consistent part of our family’s lives. Our youngest child’s middle name is a combination of her name and my aunt’s name. After we moved them in with us in February, Grandma 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 started getting involved in everyone’s lives, making sure all of us were going to be ok! She met our friends. She met the girlfriend, boyfriend and husband. She learned about jobs and living situations and our pets. She had to know our goings out and our returning. In her last days, she gave each of us her final wishes and “instructions” or “prophesies.” She laughed her belly laugh and smiled her rosy smile, she told each of us she loved us, and she cried to go be with her parents and husband, Teruo, whom she so longed to be with again. Aloha a hui hou Oyasuminasai