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Jeanette Shizuko Shiroma Noborikawa, our beloved mother and grandmother, passed peacefully on September 26, 2020 at the age of 97. She was born on April 12, 1923 in Waiahole Valley to Kamado Shiroma and Ushiya Goya.Jeanette had an entrepreneurial spirit which led her to open The Vegetable Mart and Ethel's Lunch Wagon in the Iwilei produce center. Her success in these businesses through her intelligence, grit and determination enabled her to keep her five "rotten kids" in parochial schools and college after the untimely death of her husband, Masaichi "Mike" Noborikawa in 1967. Jeanette's life lessons to her children to "work hard and study hard" have carried them throughout their lives. She is a hero to her children and will be deeply missed.
Later in life, Jeanette found joy in cultivating orchids, tending to her bonsai plants, and sharing her knowledge with students from various bonsai clubs. Her love of bonsai took her to multiple conferences and exhibitions on the mainland and Asia. Traveling with her children to Europe, Okinawa and Japan also provided many more adventures in her later years.
She is survived by her five children, Michael (Doreen) Noborikawa, Naomi (Paul) Loewe, Phyllis Cuskaden, Theresa Noborikawa, and Ernest Noborikawa; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Special thanks to Marieta Pagurigan, her family and staff for their care and kindness and to St. Francis Hospice for their assistance in her final days.
Private services to be held with a Celebration of Life to follow when conditions permit.
Arrangements Provided By: Hosoi Garden Mortuary
