Kiyomi Kimura

Kiyomi Kimura was born on April 16, 1938, in Tokyo, Japan, to Kiyofusa Kayama and Misue Niguma. At the age of two, she moved with her family to Portland, Oregon, just before the onset of World War II.

During the war, Kiyomi and her family were forcibly relocated to Heart Mountain Assembly Center in Wyoming. Following their release, they resettled in Vanport, where the family endured yet another devastating chapter with the tragic flood of 1948. Despite these hardships, Kiyomi’s perseverance and strength carried her forward.

Kiyomi graduated from Washington Monroe High School and went on to attend Portland State University. She built a career as a Medical Technologist at the VA Hospital, where her dedication and precision made a lasting impact. Kiyomi also spent several years working alongside her daughter, Deborah at the David Douglas School District.

As a young woman, Kiyomi was vibrant and social, an active member of Sorelle, a Japanese girls’ social club. She loved bowling and Japanese dance, activities that reflected both her energy and her deep connection to her heritage.

It was at a local bowling tournament that Kiyomi met the love of her life, Fred Kimura. The two married in 1967 and soon after moved into their home in the Cherry Park neighborhood of Southeast Portland. There, they spent more than 50 years together raising their three children, Jennifer, Deborah, and Kelly, creating a home filled with love, laughter, and tradition.

Kiyomi had a deep love for her family and expressed her creativity through cooking, crafting, and her treasured collection of Japanese dolls. She was an original, marching to her own beat, witty, strong, and endlessly resourceful. Her family remembers her most for her humor, tenacity, sacrifice, and boundless devotion.

A lifetime member of Nichiren Buddhist Temple, for many years Kiyomi designed the flower house for Temple’s Hanamatsuri Service. The flowers for the house were handpicked from the local school, her yard and eventually her daughter’s home. Kiyomi lead the bake sale for Nichiren’s annual Spring Bazaar and helped with food preparation for special events and celebrations at the Temple. She was also the Temple’s Fujinkai treasurer for many years.

Kiyomi is survived by her beloved husband, Fred Kimura; children Jennifer Kimura and Jeff Baltzel (Gabriel and Isaiah), Gordon and Deborah Kiyokawa (Kinai, Kai, Kiyoshi, and Kiyomi), and Kelly and Lauren Kimura (Arden and Sylvie). She was a cherished wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, aunt, cousin and friend who will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Kiyomi’s life was defined by resilience, creativity, and love—a legacy her family will carry forward with pride and gratitude.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Kiyomi’s honor on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Summerplace Ballroom, 2020 NE 150th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97230.