Deborah Yuriko Carver

Deborah Yuriko Carver, 80, passed away on May 29, 2017.
Yuriko was born on October 27, 1936 in Fukushima, Japan to Takenori and Sawa Kasuya. As a child, she received the name Deborah upon her baptism. The eighth of nine children, she lost her mother at age eleven. She grew up in Tokyo with the exception of the war years when the children were sent back to the safety of Fukushima. In 1957 she met a marine, Roger Carver, who was stationed at the American Embassy in Tokyo. They were married on April 4, 1958. He soon received orders to report to his new post in Parris Island, South Carolina. He left with the understanding that she would follow shortly, thereafter. At age 22 Yuriko Kasuya Carver embarked on her journey to a new life half a world away from everything which she had known. Her new country would be her home for the next 58 years. Deborah or Debbie as she would be known henceforth was adamant that she would assimilate to her new surroundings. She read voraciously in an attempt to become proficient in the English language. She was extremely proud on the day that she was granted U.S. citizenship. Over the next 15 years, Debbie and Roger would follow his military career to North Carolina, Pennsylvania, California, and Hawaii. They would see the births of a son and 4 daughters along the way. In 1973, Roger retired from the Marines and they made their home in Santa Ana, California for the next 19 years. In 1992, they moved to Taylorsville, UT where they lived out their remaining years. Among her many interests and hobbies were crochet, knitting, tatting, and quilting. Debbie was an expert seamstress. She loved golfing and bowling usually in several leagues at once. An amazing cook, baker, and cake decorator, she loved nothing more than to see her family and friends well fed. Debbie never knew a stranger. It wasn’t unusual for friends of her children and grandchildren to show up on her doorstep, just to chat with her and ask for advice. She was a wonderful listener and of course, she fed them. She loved nothing more than to be surrounded by her family and her dogs. Wherever Debbie lived, it was dog heaven. The ultimate team mom, she was famous for her chocolate chip cookies and Gatorade. She never missed a game, meet or match. When a Girl Scout leader was needed, she stepped in. She was tremendously proud of her children and grandchildren’s accomplishments. A devoted wife and mother, Debbie was survived by her four daughters, Terry Sneddon, Tina Steele, Tammy Carver, Toni Carver-Williams and her sister Kimiko Sugano. She had 5 grandchildren Kyla, Tanner, Kacy, Terrence and Roman and was preceded in death by her husband Roger E. Carver and her son Roger Junior. There will be a Celebration of Life hosted by Bonwood Bowl on Tuesday, June 20, 2017 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. Come toss a bowling ball and help us remember our mom.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org would be much appreciated.