Masuye Urata, 100, passed away on Feb. 21, 2026, in Seattle. “She leaves behind an enduring legacy of love, kindness, creativity and care to all those who were fortunate to know her. Through her life’s many challenges, she had great compassion, a sharp wit and a sly sense of humor,” her family wrote.
In her century of life, Masuye experienced immense societal change and remained incredibly resilient through hardship. She was born April 23, 1925, in Seattle to Ichimatsu and Tsuneko Kihara, the third of six children.
During the Depression, she and her siblings moved to Hiroshima, Japan. When World War II broke out, they were unable to return to the U.S. and were separated from their parents, who were sent to internment camps in Minidoka, Idaho.
When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, amazingly, she survived. Her lasting regret was not to have been able to overturn every piece of broken wreckage to search for her younger sister Nobu, who was never found. At the end of the war, she and her surviving siblings were repatriated to Seattle.
She met and married Robert Urata in 1950 and moved with him to Wrangell. There, they raised Bob, Gilbert, Aimee, Naomi and Mari. Masuye integrated herself into the community. She relearned English, joined the Episcopal Church, worked in the lumber mill office and learned to cook American dishes. Her apple pie was her family’s favorite!
Later in life, she took up quilting and made hundreds of beautiful handcrafted quilts to keep her extended family and friends warm. She even sold some in New York City and gave some away to those less fortunate.
After her husband died, Masuye moved to San Juan Island, Washington, and eventually Seattle. She impressed everyone by displaying the strength and resilience of those half her age, traveling around Europe, China and Japan with her sisters, rocking aerobics classes and proudly lifting weights in front of her grandchildren.
Masuye also spent her retirement instilling in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren valuable life lessons. She taught them that the most important thing was to make the world a better place through good works and kindness.
She is survived by her sisters Tayeko Shitama and Itsuko Uota; five children; 12 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and their children. Every one of her relatives feels lucky to have known, loved and have been loved by such a wonderful woman.
