October 10, 1930 – June 30, 2018
Ray Roy Nakamoto was born in Vancouver, BC. He lived close to the Granville Bridge and had three siblings, also born in Canada. His father Kenji had been a doctor in Japan and was from Yamaguchi Prefecture. Ray’s mother Yae was born in Japan. She worked in a dry-cleaning shop in Vancouver. When Ray was 7, his father died while visiting Japan.
Ray attended school in Vancouver until he, along with his mother and siblings, was interned at Tashme. He continued his studies there. Other than describing the cold winters and the wood-and-tin shack the family lived in, he did not speak much about his stay in Tashme. Ray (aged 15), mother Yae, sister Donna and brother Kiyoshi were exiled to Japan on 31 May 1946. They were on the first “repatriation” ship passage from Canada to Japan.
Ray was unable to continue school in Japan because he lacked sufficient proficiency in written Japanese. However, by 18 he was working with the US Armed Forces at Haneda Airport. A year later, he was working as an interpreter with the Canadian Liaison Mission in Tokyo and with Northwestern Airlines at Haneda. He was issued a certificate of Canadian Citizenship in 1949. A few years later, he enlisted to join the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps in Korea, stationed in Hiro, Japan. He worked as a driver and in administration.
Ray returned to Canada from Japan in 1956, ten years after being forced to leave. He went to Camp Borden, Ontario for military training, and was posted to Germany in 1957. He had postings around the world prior to his marriage to Fumiko and settling in Canada. They had a son and a daughter. Ray remained with the Canadian Armed Forces, specializing in operations and facilities, until he retired. His postings in Canada included BC, Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick. The family kept a house in BC and also lived in the Private Military Quarters of the other locations they were posted to.
Ray was restless after retiring in 1980 with full honours, and went to work at a local plant alongside some fellow veterans. In his free time, being a skilled and knowledgeable fisherman, he enjoyed taking friends and acquaintances on fishing trips in his boat. Ray kept in touch with other JC veterans, and would catch up with them at Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Japanese Canadian War Memorial. These veterans included Roy Kawamoto, Don Yamane, Jim Nishihara, Karl Konishi, and Dick Nakamura. He also remained in contact by phone or mail with other military friends who lived in distant locations.
