Mary Hisaye (Murakami) Doi, our beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, passed away peacefully, with her family by her side on April 29, 2015. Mary was born on July 18, 1923 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Hatsuzo and Miki Murakami. She married Wallace Doi on May 11, 1946 in Waimea, Kauai.
Mary loved to spend time with her family, especially with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Mary was a self-made chef, successfully owning and operating the Aloha and Fuji cafe, for over 50 years. Her specialties included ham-fried rice, Polynesian Ribs, Udon, and Hamburger Royal. She had many loyal customers and formed many lasting friendships. She was cherished for her generosity, strong work ethic, loyalty to her family, unique sense of humor, and quick wit. She had a passion for scrapbooking and did so with meticulous detail. Many of her pictures of Salt Lake City's Japantown are kept in Special Collections at the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah, preserving history for generations to come.
Mary is survived by her three children- Kimi (Mike) Foard, Robin (Pamela), and Wade (Kim); seven grandchildren Amber (Kip), Briar, Lindsay (Seth), Wally (Cynthia), Staci, Christopher, and Eric (Elizabeth); and five great grandchildren. Mary was preceded in death by her husband Wallace, brother Yoshio Murakami, and her granddaughter Jenifer.
A celebration of her life will be held at Larkin Mortuary, 260 E. South Temple, on Friday May 8, 2015 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. A graveside service will be held on Saturday at 2:00 pm, at the Salt Lake Cemetery. The Doi family would like to express their deepest gratitude and thanks to Emeritus Memory Care and Brighton Home Health and Hospice for their special care of Mary.
