OBITUARY
Aster Akemi Nimi
3 November , 1935 – 17 April , 2018
Aster Akemi Nimi
November 3, 1935 – April 17, 2018
Laughter, music, and love all extinguished suddenly before our eyes.
Aster was born November 3, 1935 in Port Essington, BC, the daughter of Sadako and Seishi (George), a boat builder and commercial fisherman. The Mukai family moved to Steveston, where her father started a shipyard. When the Pacific war broke out, all Canadians of Japanese descent were deemed to be “enemy aliens” and all properties and possessions were seized and auctioned off, as the initial process of the government’s evacuation and internment process. In 1942, her father had 3 gill-netters on the go but was shipped off to Red Pass near Jasper, Alberta as part of a road labour camp. Mother, Sadako, had unimaginable hardships of her own to deal with: she gathered her 4 children, including 4-month old Henry, packed her mandated 50-pound limit (mostly diapers) in a bag and went to the designated transit point – the animal livestock barns at Hastings Park. Aster was 6 years old at the time, and always remembered the foul smell of the animals and hay. As the eldest of the children, Aster took on the critical role of helping her mom babysit her younger brothers Bob, Tom and Henry. The youngest siblings, Don and Dianne, fortunately avoided the initial upheaval.
The Mukai family eventually was shipped off to sugar beet farms in Southern Alberta. Having difficulties in their new farming roles, the family moved frequently – Aster remembers attending 11 different schools before they were finally allowed to return to Richmond in 1951. Aster was part of the first graduating class at the new Richmond High School, and her social grace and leadership skills soon became apparent – she was elected President of the student council in her senior year. She also organised a teen club for English speaking Japanese-Canadians. Still in her teens, Aster then became a board member of the fledgling Steveston Community Centre.
Aster was successful in joining the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1953, where she met her future husband, Peter. She again took a leadership role, helping to form the UBC chapter of Lambda Kappa Sigma (LKS), the international pharmacy school sorority, and her picture still hangs in the faculty as a charter member. When she graduated in 1957, Aster began her pharmacy career and faced many obstacles in the workplace of the day; she literally had to prove she was indeed a qualified pharmacist, not being Caucasian and looking much younger than her age as a petite 98 pounder. Bonded initially by education and career, and then love, Aster and Peter wed on January 17, 1959.
On September 1, 1960 Aster and Peter opened their first drugstore, Seafair Drugs, at the corner of No.1 Road and Francis in Richmond. They worked the pharmacy during the days and at night she came home and did the books. She remarked recently that, while very busy, it really was the most fun of times. The talk in the neighbourhood of the day was all negative; rumours abounded of their business’ demise, and most predicted the “kids” would close shop within 6 months. Seafair Drugs, in fact, became profitable within 6 months, and would become an institution in the region. Aster and Peter would go on to open 5 more drugstores, mostly under the Western Drug Mart and later Pharmasave banners. Some locations were: Como Lake in Coquitlam, and Broadmoor, Shellmont, and Blundell Centre in Richmond. Incredibly, Aster oversaw and managed much of this explosive business expansion while starting and nurturing her own family: Paul was born in 1962, and David followed in 1965.
One of Aster’s passions was music, and specifically singing. From an early age, she was constantly asked to sing solos. At the urging of her music teacher, Aster auditioned for the Vancouver Bach Choir. After failing in her first attempt, she auditioned for a second time for famed British conductor Meredith Davies, who decided to place a cloth sheet in front of the aspirants to avoid any visual biases. This time, Aster passed the auditions and spent almost 38 years as a First Soprano. During Aster’s tenure, the Vancouver Bach Choir toured Northern Holland and the British Isles twice – singing in St. Paul’s Cathedral, Canterbury, and with the Birmingham Symphony under Sir Simon Rattle, and in Llangollen, Wales for the Eisteddfod. Another big highlight: the choir sang with live elephants, lions, tigers and a camel in the Canadian production of Verdi’s Aida under the Tokyo Dome.
When Dr. Diane Loomer started a choir for mature singers, EnChor, she invited Aster to join. Thus began her second phase of choral singing, developing even more close friendships that lasted a lifetime.
While enjoying the choral camaraderie, Aster wanted to learn more and expand her musical knowledge. In 1970, Peter’s sister, Ellen Enomoto, a classical pianist and CBC music librarian, persuaded Aster to enrol in UBC’s Department of Music as a mature student. Not one to say “no” to a challenge, Aster took two courses each year for 8 years, often in the evenings and weekends. All this, while operating the pharmacies in an increasingly competitive environment and raising two active sons. During this period the number of drugstores increased from 2 to 6, and at its peak, the business employed over 80 people. Aster earned her Bachelor of Music degree in 1978.
On the sporting front, Aster guided her young family onto the slopes at Mt. Seymour, helping the family learn to ski. She and Peter took the family night skiing after their busy days of work, making sandwiches to eat in the car in between runs. Grouse Mountain, then Whistler became favourite winter playgrounds, especially over Christmas. Aster often said the thrill of navigating the long runs at Whistler was euphoric. She developed into a smooth, parallel skier.
Summertime was spent golfing, first at Quilchena, then at Richmond Country Club. Unfortunately, it was more exercise than sport, and very tiring as both were high-handicappers. But Aster and Peter played countless rounds together, met lifelong friends, and had excuses to travel to warm, dry destinations “chasing the dream”.
Travel was the other love of Aster and Peter. Some favourite destinations included: Hawaii, Japan, France, Germany, and England. But they were truly global citizens, exploring all parts of our world in search of adventure, culture, and relaxation. In Vienna their hotel was next to a church and they could hear the congregation joyfully singing. Aster hurriedly went downstairs and peeked in the side door — a female congregant, realizing what was happening, quickly opened another hymnary and pointed to where Aster could join them, in her rusty German. Music really is the universal language, and Aster’s love and dedication to her craft created opportunities and friendships that lasted a lifetime.
Aster always stayed optimistic, cheerful and loving. As a family, we are devastated in our loss, but must carry on in her spirit. We know that she would want us to be happy in each other’s company, and to cherish every moment together, as friends and family. And we have to believe we will all meet again, in our hearts and beyond, as our love for her is just too strong to be broken.
Aster is survived by her loving husband, Peter, sons Paul (Donna) and David (Lily), and cherished grandsons: Nicholas, Alexander, Markus, and Ryan; siblings: Bob (Ruth), Tom (May), Henry (Kathy), Don (Shoko), and Dianne, and families.
A Celebration of Life for Aster Nimi will take place:
Sunday, May 6, 2018, at 1:00pm, at
Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre
6688 Southoaks Crescent
Burnaby BC V5E 4M7
In lieu of flowers or koden, please support, “In Memory of Aster Nimi” either:
Nikkei Place Foundation: nikkeiplacefoundation.org/
EnChor’s Outreach program: enchor.ca/support.html
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Aster Akemi Nimi 2018.source
Décès pour la Ville: vancouver, Province: Colombie britanique
