- Date Of Birth: March 2, 1929
- Date Of Death: December 25, 2019
- State: Utah
Shirley Masako Kuroiwa Sayama, 90, passed away on December 25, 2019, at Willow Glen Health and Rehabilitation where she lived for the past 11 years after having a brain aneurysm. Shirley was born March 2, 1929, in Mesa, AZ, to Yoichi and Shimae Kuroiwa. When World War II broke out, Shirley’s family was relocated to an internment camp in Poston, AZ. When her family got out of the camp, they moved to Layton, UT where she went on to graduate from Davis High School. Shirley married Atsushi Sayama on March 7, 1955 and moved to Atsushi’s family farm in Corinne. She helped on the farm until she started dipping chocolates at Idle Isle Café. Shirley worked there for over 10 years. She enjoyed crocheting, knitting and reading. Shirley was a big Utah Jazz fan. Atsushi and Shirley loved going to Jazz games.
She traveled with Atsushi to Australia, South America and Hawaii. They were married for 54 years before his death on August 22, 2009. She was an excellent cook and her English Toffee was the best. Shirley was a member of the Honeyville Buddhist Church and Fujin-Kai.
Shirley is survived by a daughter, Ellen (Steven) Kato, a son, Keith, a daughter-in-law, Margie, and a brother, Ken Kuroiwa. She has two granddaughters, Valerie and Shannon and a great grandson, Emerson.
Preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Atsushi, her son, David, three brothers and six sisters.
The family would like to thank Willow Glen Health and Rehabilitation for taking such good care of Shirley for all those years. Also, thank you to Bristol Hospice for their service for the past month.
