Sakae Wakabayashi

July 06, 1922 - May 22, 2018

Sakae Wakabayashi Obituary (Age 95) Sakae Wakabayashi passed away May 22, 2018 in Spokane, WA. She was born July 6, 1922 in Twin Falls, ID to Tokuzo and Kohana Sugihara. Sakae vividly remembers a trip to Japan when she was five years old; she recalls seeing whales from the deck of the ship they were travelling on. After returning from Japan, the family moved to Troy, MT. They then moved to Spokane when she was fifteen, where she attended Lewis and Clark High School. Sakae married Matthew Wakabayashi on August 9, 1942. She became an exercise enthusiast in 1960, following the advice of Jack LaLanne. Sakae would bounce around the living room every day with Jack in front of the black and white TV and did not stop exercising until she was 87. She enjoyed ballroom dancing with Matt � they were members of a dance club and would go dancing four or five nights a week. Sakae was an avid Gonzaga basketball and Seattle Mariners fan. She was thrilled to watch the Zags reach the NCAA title game. Unfortunately, she will never get to watch the Mariners play in the post season as she started following them after their record 116 win season. The highlight of her Mariners experience was watching them play the Boston Red Sox from the box seats behind home plate at Safeco Field. Sakae was a member of Highland Park United Methodist Church and a member of the Spokane and National Chapter of the Japanese American Citizen�s League. Sakae is survived by her sons, Michael Wakabayashi of Spokane and Matthew (Bon) Wakabayashi of Elk, WA. She was preceded in death by her husband, Matthew, in 1994 and her daughter, Linda, in 1990. At her request, there will be a private family burial at a later date. You may make a contribution to Horizon Hospice or your favorite place of worship or charity in Sakae�s name. We would like to thank the staff at Royal Park Retirement and Royal Park Rehabilitation for the courteous, affectionate way they cared for Sakae in her last years. We would also like to thank Horizon Hospice for the efficiency and compassion they exhibited attending to Sakae during her final days. � To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Sakae, please visit our Tree Store. Read more Events MAY 22