Yoneo Hatakeyama was born in Blanco, CA on Feb. 16, 1917. Shortly after birth, Yoneo’s father, Seitaro, ironically after surviving two wars in Japan, was killed in an auto accident. His mother, Asame, decided to bring the family back to Japan. At the age of 16, Yoneo returned to the Salinas Valley. During WWII, he enlisted in the US Army, where he learned his trade as a dental lab tech. He married Betsy Hayashi on Oct., 16 1946, after she was released from Internment Camp at Poston, Arizona. They settled in Fresno for 34 years. Yoneo entered peacefully into Nirvana on Oct. 19, 2007 in Morgan Hill, CA at the age of 90, after 28 fulfilling years in Morgan Hill. He is survived by wife Betsy, children Dr. Jon (Shelly) Hatakeyama – their children Evan, Vanessa, Brent, and Vincent; Steven (Becky) Hatakeyama – their children Bryce and Stevie; and daughter, Mia (Glenn) Hatakeyama Rivera.
Friends and relatives are invited to attend a Remembrance and Celebration for Yoneo on Nov. 10, 2007 at 2:00 P.M. at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center Annex Bldg. at 16540 Murphy Ave. in Morgan Hill.
