- Date Of Birth: June 22, 1924
- Date Of Death: September 5, 2017
- State: Maryland
Ben Minamoto of Denton, MD, died Tuesday, September 5, 2017, at his home. He was 93 years old.
Born in Montebello, Los Angeles County, California on June 22, 1924, Ben Minamoto was the youngest of four children of Kanichi and Yei Minamoto, first generation immigrants from Hiroshima, Japan. He graduated from Downey Union High School in southern California in 1942. By executive order of then President Roosevelt affecting approximately 100,000 US citizens of Japanese ancestry living on the west coast, Ben and his family were forced to move to a temporary relocation center at the Santa Anita racetrack in early 1942, before being transported by cross country rail to a dry and desolate internment camp in Rohwer, Arkansas. In November 1944, he faithfully reported for induction in the US Army Air Force. He was trained as a rifle sharpshooter and radiology technician, and received a decoration for good conduct. In November 1946, he was honorably discharged as a corporal, earning a WWII Victory Medal.
After reading in a newspaper that everyone wanted to retire on a chicken farm, Ben and his family purchased 10 acres in East Northport, NY and started a poultry business around 1951. Ben became interested in propagating plants rather than chickens after learning about plants from a family friend. This interest eventually developed into a thriving plant nursery business where Ben became one of the first to introduce the “PJM” pink flowering rhododendron hybrid (named after Peter J.
Mr. Minamoto is survived by three nieces: Donna Swenson of Anchorage, AL, Janet Cummings of Citrus Heights, CA, and Grace Minamoto of New York, NY; two nephews: James Minamoto of Tokyo, Japan and Wesley Arita of Lancaster, NH; and a sister-in-law, Norimi Minamoto of East Northport, NY. He is also survived by numerous family members and friends from all around the US, and in Tokyo, Japan, as well as his loyal dogs, Geronimo, Fifi and Humphrey.
