December 20, 1923 – March 27, 2026
God peacefully took Nobie home to heaven on March 27, 2026. Nobie was born and raised on Bainbridge Island and was the third child of Sonoji and Yoshiko Sakai. She was married to Taketo for 63 years before his passing in 2011. She is survived by her children Dennis (Carole), Karlyne (Larry Sera), Craig (Sheila), seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
The Sakai family had a strawberry farm near Bainbridge High School and Nobie would always attribute her good health to being a ‘farm girl.’ She was the last of the thirteen Bainbridge Island High School seniors who were sent to Manzanar and missed out on their graduation in 1942. She will be remembered for her faith in God, calm demeanor, positive outlook, witty responses, humble generosity and delicious sukiyaki.
The family is grateful to her loving caregivers from Day By Day Nursing and the dedicated staff at Nikkei Manor. Remembrances may be made to Bainbridge Island Japanese-American Exclusion Memorial Association https://bijaema.org/ or to Nikkei Manor Employee Fund, 700 6th Avenue South, Seattle 98104.