Masao Akiyama

Masao “Sam” Akiyama passed away on February 5, 2018 at the age of 95.  He was born in Portland, Oregon on November 24, 1922 to Umeo Okada Akiyama and Ishi Akiyama. During his elementary school years, his father took various cooking jobs at a restaurant in Seattle, Washington and at a logging camp in Eastern Oregon but the family eventually resettled back in Portland, Oregon.  As a young teenager, Mas worked summer jobs on his friend’s father’s farm picking strawberries and at a fish cannery around Astoria, Oregon.
After Pearl Harbor, Mas was able to graduate from Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon before the family was evacuated to the Portland Assembly Center and interned at the Minidoka Internment Camp near Jerome, Idaho.  After being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944, he served in the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, A Company. He joined the unit in France and served primarily in Italy.  After his discharge in 1946, Mas made his way to Salt Lake City, Utah where his father had relocated to be a cook at the Pagoda Restaurant. Mas earned an associate’s degree in Junior Accounting from LDS Business College in 1950. In 1959, in Elko, Nevada, he married May Nodzu, his wife of 58 years.
Mas worked at Mount Olympus Waters, Inc for more than 50 years, as a book keeper and later doing inventory control.  He served on the Supervisory Committee of the National JACL Credit Union and the board of the Mount Olympus Chapter of JACL. He will be remembered for his love of family and friends, bowling, playing blackjack and watching sports. During his retirement, he enjoyed going to breakfast with family and friends, monthly poker games and watching Jazz basketball and other sports. Despite several bouts of cancer, his optimistic spirit helped him beat the disease and he was fortunate enough to make several family trips to Japan and attended the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to honor Japanese American World War II veterans of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service (MIS) in Washington, D.C.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Shizuko Kamaya and his brother Rintaro Akiyama. Mas is survived by his wife May; daughter Diane (Ray Nishikawa); grandsons Marcus, Brian and Eric; and many in-laws, nieces and nephews. The family gives a special thank you to the staff at Life Care Center for their love and care.
Viewing Sunday February 25, 2018 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Murray Memorial Mortuary 5850 South 900 East.  Funeral services will be held Monday February 26, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Mountain View Memorial Mortuary 3115 East 7800 South. Friends may call one hour before service. Internment will follow the service.
Service Information
Viewing February 25, 2018 at 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Memorial Murray Mortuary, 5850 South 900 East, Murray, Utah 84121





Viewing February 26, 2018 at 10:00 - 10:45 am
Memorial Mountain View Mortuary, 3115 East 7800 South, Cottonwood Heights, Utah 84121





Funeral Service
February 26, 2018 at 11:00 am
Memorial Mountain View Mortuary, 3115 East 7800 South, Cottonwood Heights, Utah 84121