Death of Fujiko Kitagawa, former UCBWM Staff Member

Global Ministries is saddened to learn of the death of Fujiko Kitagawa, who died unexpectedly on Sunday, December 30, 2012.

May 1, 1923 – December 30, 2012

Global Ministries is saddened to learn of the death of Fujiko Kitagawa, who died unexpectedly on Sunday, December 30, 2012.

Mrs. Kitagawa was born May 1, 1923, in San Francisco, California. Her education at University of California at Berkeley was interrupted when Japanese Americans were sent to detention centers. She later attended Heidelberg College (Ohio) until she married the Reverend Daisuke Kitagawa. They lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Chicago, Illinois; Leonia, New Jersey; and Geneva, Switzerland.

Fujiko served as Executive Secretary to the Executive Vice President, United Church Board of World Ministries, in New York, until 1996, first with Reverend Dr. David M. Stowe and then with Reverend Scott S. Libbey. She moved to Chevy Chase, Maryland, to be near her growing grandchildren after retiring.  She then moved to Tucson, Arizona, in 2009, to be near her son.

Fujiko Kitagawa also served on the UCBWM Board of Directors from 1973 to 1997.

Fujiko is survived by her son, the Reverend John Kitagawa (Kathy); grandchildren, Katie Lantzsch (Jake), David Berlin, and their father, Jeffrey Berlin.

A memorial service was held on Saturday, January 12, 2013, at St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church, in Tucson, Arizona.

Messages of condolence may be sent to Reverend John Kitagawa, c/o St. Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church, 4440 N Campbell Ave Tucson, AZ 85718, johnkitagawa@comcast.net.

At the family’s request, memorial gifts can be made to St. Philip’s Church. Gifts also can be made to Global Ministries, 700 Prospect Avenue East, Cleveland, Ohio 44115-1100.