Hisako Imai Obituary

IMAI, Hisako "Rose"
September 6, 1938 - January 23, 2025

It is with sadness we report Rose passed away on January 23, 2025 in White Rock, BC.

Rose passed away peacefully accompanied by her nephew Raymond Imai who kindly stayed by her side as she took her final breath and was welcomed into God's loving arms.

Rose resided the last three years at the Whitecliff Senior Living residence in White Rock, where the caring staff took excellent care of her. Prior to moving to White Rock, Rose resided for several years at Carlton House in Oak Bay Victoria for independent living which provided a loving and caring environment that Rose really enjoyed.

Rose was predeceased by her loving husband of 45 years Robert "Bob" John Grace and by all of her siblings Bruce Imai, Kyoko (Imai) Yamamoto, Gordon Imai, George Imai and Lil (Imai) Yamashita.

Rose will be dearly missed by the Imai and Grace families and by all her nieces, nephews and grandchildren.

Rose was the daughter of Usakichi and Tomi Imai who were from Shingai-cho, Hakone-shi, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Rose was born at Sapperton, New Westminster, BC and spent her childhood years there. Then as young girl Rose was forced, with her family to enter the Tashme Internment Camp during WW11 at Sunshine Valley, east of Hope BC.

After the war, Rose moved to Moosejaw with her family and after finishing High School in 1956, she entered the Moose Jaw Union School of Nursing in Saskatchewan. Rose graduated her nursing training in 1959. One of the surgeons she was working for in the operating room there suggested she should apply to a 6 month postgraduate program for nurses in the Operating room at Montreal General Hospital. Based on his advice Rose then applied for that position and was accepted. She then moved to Montreal where she finished that program.
While she was in Montreal, Rose saw a notice in the United Church Observer paper that there were opportunities to work abroad in India, Taiwan, Korea and Japan for doctors, nurses, teachers and accountants. After completing the Operating Room course in Montreal, she then applied for and was accepted by the Church to fill a position as a nurse missionary, in Japan. Rose was posted to a slum district called "Hanabatake" (literally a garden of flowers) in the central prefecture of Okayama in the scenic inland sea area of central Japan. During her tenure there, she made rounds with elderly patients in their own humble homes and had a very rewarding experience serving them.

Before returning to Canada, Rose accepted an assignment with the Church World Service on the Ryukyu islands in their mobile health unit. These islands were a chain of thousands of tiny islands in the South China Seas. There she made visits to villagers on other close by islands from time to time, sometimes using simple fishing boats. While she was there, she was assigned to the island of Okinawa where she taught English and pursued nursing involved with patients on the island with Hansens's Disease (Leprosy).

Rose later returned to Montreal and finished her Bachelor of Nursing in 1967. After completing her degree, Rose worked for the next 2 years with the Toronto Health Department again with underprivileged youth which again was a real eye opener.

In 1970 Rose then continued her educational journey at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland where she obtained her Master's Degree of Public Health. Rose said she would never forget how generous and considerate The School of Public Health was to let her work shifts that fitted her study schedule. After obtaining her Master's degree she returned to Canada and had the opportunity to participate in epidemiological studies on the spread of HIV, do Health Manpower studies, and a national survey of Health Care Facilities within Corrections Canada as well as working with the Canadian Nurses Federation. Rose and Bob were married in Vancouver by Rose's brother Gordon Imai and spent the next 45 loving years together renovating properties, travelling and enjoying life together. Rose was active in the church activities in Ottawa and did many hours volunteering at St Patrick's Basilica in Ottawa before moving with her husband to Victoria BC.

Rose lived life to its fullest, achieved many accomplishments along the way and made many long lasting friendships throughout her life. Another star is shining brighter in the sky now. May we all find peace in remembering the special person she was.

The family would like to thank Jason Calimbas and his dedicated management and staff at Whitecliff Retirement Home for the compassionate and exceptional care they showed Rose over the past couple of years, as well as the comfort and support they provided the family. They truly went above and beyond what was required of them.

There will be a mass held for her at 10:30 AM on May 14, 2025 at St. Patrick's Basilica, 220 Kent St., Ottawa, ON., K1R 5G2
Rose will be placed to rest beside her loving late husband Bob Grace at Notre-Dame Cemetery in Ottawa.