S. Steven Nakashima, a Fresno native who served on the UC Board of regents for nearly a dozen years, died Dec. 11 at his home in San Jose, at the age of 86.
Steve Nakashima was raised in Reedley, and often called himself "a simple Reedley boy." He graduated from Reedley High School and Reedley Junior College. Like thousands of other Japanese-Americans, he was interned with his family during World War II. He served in the U.S. Army after the war, then earned a bachelor's degree at UC Berkeley, followed by law school at UC's Boalt Hall.
He was first appointed to fill an unexpired term on the Board of Regents in 1989 by Gov. George Deukmejian. He was appointed to a full 12-year term in 1992 by Gov. Pete Wilson, but left in 2001, citing ill health and the death of his wife, Sally, two years earlier.
Along the way the former packing shed worker practiced law successfully for 36 years.
A memorial will be held Jan. 29 - it would have been his 87th birthday - from 1 to 3 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 566 N. Fifth Street, San Jose.
Russ Minick" I am not critical of reporting the death, and publishing a short bio. But what can we really say other than being sorry about the passing of a great Valley denizen. I am noticing with chagrin that not even from REEDLEY came a response because 0 posts makes this a logical conclusion. My husband from Dinuba, remembers fondly his Japanese neighbors. Each a good and successful family being taken away to be imprisoned in camps.
Another subject: The mention of "...the former packing shed worker..." around here is not necessarily an indication of being a rung up the ladder to success. In Clovis, every packing season, the wives of well to do guys worked at the L& P packing shed for the unemployment benefits for pin money. Mr. L was surprised that I declined his invitation to pack peaches and grapes. But the thought of all the Black Widow spiders and other creepy crawlers in the fruit made me provide my movie money other ways. E.g.. the Clovis Independent paid me $ 7.00 for an article. That was about 5 movie visits, including bus fare on the Moyer Stage........are you old enough to remember the days when the price for a Wathen house on Shield Ave. was about $15.000? My husband and I had Jim Jolly build a house for far less on the acre we owned in Clovis.
Now; this topic won't have to go into the great archives in the ether sans a post. And perhaps a Reedley blogger shall yet pay tribute to one of the town's great sons.