Sachiko Miyata

Sachiko Rose Miyata, affectionately known as "Sachi", passed away peacefully on April
26, 2024. Born on January 24, 1928, in Sacramento, CA, Sachiko's life was a testament
to resilience, creativity, and boundless compassion. Her life was a journey that began in
California as a second generation Japanese American and traversed through the
challenging times of internment during World War II, building a family with husband Tom
and business in Chicago and blossomed in Hawaii and Lake Havasu City, Arizona,
where she spent her final years next to her sister Sets, nieces Kimi and Alex who were
at her side at all times.

Sachiko was a beacon of strength and resilience, having navigated the trials of the
Japanese American internment camps in Heart Mountain Wyoming and Tule Lake
California. Despite these hardships, she remained generous and compassionate,
embodying the Christian verse from 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed." This spirit fueled her determination and success as a business owner with husband Tom and in-laws Mas and Florence Miyata of the beloved Piccadilly Garage for 60 years.

Sachiko's creativity was as vast as her resilience. A skilled seamstress, she once
worked for Hart, Shaffner and Marx tailors, but her sewing skills were not just for
employment. Her love for detail and precision transcended into her hobbies of stamp
and coin collecting. Sachiko took great pride in her China, figurines and oriental
furniture and art collections, each piece telling a unique story, much like the chapters of
her own life living the American dream of owning a home, raising a family and
succeeding in business. Despite what happened during WWII she always said to love
this country and serve it well as did her sons Wayne, John and grandson Garrett in the
Army.

Sachi was known by her friends and family as the most kind and generous person who
would go out of her way to help anyone who needed something. She would drive the
heck out of her jumbo Cadillac cars taking the kids around town and chasing car parts
for Picadilly Garage. Loved by all Sachi was still a tough and stubborn woman who
would not put up with people who did wrong or disrespected her. She would give them
her famous fist sign that usually defused the situation as they knew they would not win
with her.

She is survived by her children, John and his wife Tara, Wayne and his wife Jacinda,
and Cindy; her sister, Setsuko Holdren; and her grandsons, Garrett, Shaun, Dylan,
Tommy, and Collin. They, along with countless others touched by Sachiko's generous
spirit, continue her legacy. Preceded in death by her beloved husband, Tom Miyata, parents, Sajie and Sumiko Nagaishi, brothers, Hideo, Tadao, and Akira Nagaishi, sister,
Kimiko Nagaishi, and brother-in-law, Jerry Holdren.

Sachiko Miyata was more than an internment survivor, a successful business owner, or
a talented seamstress. She was a testament to resilience, a beacon of creativity, a
monument of generosity, and a wellspring of compassion. Her life was a rich tapestry
woven with threads of love, joy, and determination, a tapestry that will continue to warm
the hearts of those who knew her.

As we remember Sachiko, we invite you to share your memories and upload photos of
her to the memorial page. Her story is not just in the past, but continues in each of us
who carry her in our hearts.