Kimiko Robinson
Kimiko (Ishimoto) Robinson, born January 25, 1931, to Katsuko (Machida) and Itsuo Ishimoto, died on April 2, 2023 due to complications of dementia. Kimiko was born in the seaside town of Kamakura, Japan in a home behind the Daibutsu. She attended the Peers’ School (Gakushuin) in Tokyo with Princess Yori (daughter of Emperor Hirohito) as her childhood best friend. Her family survived the U.S. fire bombing of Tokyo in March 1945 although their family home did not.
Kim worked as a translator in the US Army Hospital in Tokyo. She met her husband Edward Robinson while he was stationed in Tokyo after being drafted during the Korean War. They married in Japan in 1953 and she came to the U.S. with him in 1954 to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, then Illinois and eventually California. One of her early experiences as an American was when she found herself pondering the two entrances at a public restroom, white or colored?
She attended Cal Poly Pomona while raising two children and earned her BS in Mathematics and a Master’s in Education and had a long, fulfilling and successful career as a Junior High, then High School Math teacher in Covina, California. She mentored the Chess Club, taught the first computer classes and played golf and bridge and loved to sew in her spare time. Kimiko also instilled a lifelong fondness of home baked cookies among her family and friends.
Kim and Ed loved to travel and visited 25 countries along with exploring many regions in the U.S. in small private aircraft (a benefit of Ed’s flying hobby).
In retirement Kim and Ed moved to Trinidad California in beautiful Humboldt County. When grandchildren arrived they relocated to Santa Barbara and later Goleta. Here she thoroughly enjoyed taking classes in the SBCC Adult Ed program; psychology, beading, watercolor painting, yoga and journal writing.
She leaves behind one remaining sister in Tokyo along with nieces and nephews and their children in Japan, Thailand and Greece. Ed’s large family across the U.S. adored her as a sister-in-law. She also leaves her husband Edward in Goleta along with children Susan (Steve Owens) in Santa Barbara and David Robinson (Liza Pon) in NYC plus grandchildren Mia Owens, Nate Owens and Lena Robinson. A private memorial was held on April 29th. Her gentle presence, love of life, upbeat personality and sense of humor is and will be greatly missed.
