Jeanne Saiki

Jeanne Kawamura Saiki passed away peacefully on March 22, 2023, in her room at Oakwood Village Lutheran Home, University Woods Campus, Madison, Wisconsin.

She was born on September 30, 1921, in Honolulu. The youngest of eight siblings to Daizo Kawamura and Natsu Iwamoto Kawamura.

While in Honolulu, she witnessed the bombing of Pearl Harbor at the onset of World War II.

After graduating from Farrington High School in 1939, she attended the University of Hawaii and graduated in 1943 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. She then attended the Philadelphia School of Occupational Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania and became a registered Occupational Therapist in 1948.

She was employed as an Occupational Therapist at Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu from September 1948 – January, 1951, and at the University of Wisconsin Cerebral Palsy Clinic from April 1951 – June, 1954.

Jeanne married Toshio Saiki of Honolulu, on January 13, 1951, in Madison, and Madison would become her home for the duration of her life. After raising 3 children full time, she took on a variety of part- and full-time jobs. These included time as a nature guide at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum, a library assistant at the Wisconsin State Journal, librarian at the Madison Press Connection, and as administrative staff support at the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources.

She also tutored Japanese language, and tutored Hmong students that attended Henry David Thoreau school in Madison to help them with their English.

She would have told you that probably her most rewarding job was her time spent at the Madison Press Connection.

Jeanne loved gardening, playing her piano, and doing her daily sudoku. While living at Oakwood, she took drawing classes, ukulele class, and was a member of the Oakwood choir.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her seven siblings, her loving husband Toshio, and beloved dogs Candy and Beau. She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law in Madison, a son in San Clemente, California, and a daughter in San Leandro, California.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Dane County Humane Society, 5132 Voges Road, Madison, Wisconsin, 53718. (608) 838-0413.

A private service will be held at a later date.

“When grace is joined with wrinkles, it is adorable. There is an unspeakable dawn in happy old age.”  - Victor Hugo

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

3610 Speedway Road  Madison

(608) 238-3434