IZUMI, Reverend Yasuo

Reverend Yasuo Izumi October 22, 1944 – October 29, 2024 It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our dear husband, father, and grandfather, Reverend Yasuo Izumi, on October 29, 2024, in Lethbridge, Alberta, at the age of 80.
Yasuo was born on October 22, 1944, in Kawasaki city in Kanagawa prefecture, Japan. He was a lifelong learner with a zest for exploration and openness to the world that rivalled that of Curious George. In 1967, after completing a degree in English literature from Taisho University in Tokyo, Yasuo spent a year travelling around the world, visiting the United States, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, England, and France. He returned to Japan in 1968 to begin his religious studies at the Tsukiji Academy in Tokyo, where he met his future wife, Sachi Takeda. He then continued studying religion at Ryokoku University in Kyoto and completed a six-month internship at the Jodo Shinshu Temple in Yamaguchi prefecture. Yasuo was appointed by the mother temple, Hongwanji, in Kyoto, to serve as the ordained minister of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism at the Lethbridge Buddhist Temple and, in the fall of 1970, Yasuo and Sachi made the courageous decision to leave behind their family and friends in Japan and arrived in Canada to begin their new life.
Yasuo’s education continued in North America. In 1992, he received the certificate in Clinical Pastoral Education from Vancouver General Hospital. He continued his religious studies at the Vancouver School of Theology and regularly contributed articles to the Japanese newspaper, Vancouver Shinpo. A few years later, in 1995, Yasuo obtained his Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California. Throughout his 54-year career, he served as the head minister in temples across Canada, including Lethbridge Buddhist Temple, Vancouver Buddhist Temple, Steveston Buddhist Temple, Toronto Buddhist Church, and the Buddhist Temple of Southern Alberta (BTSA). In April, 2021, he received a certificate from the Hongwanji in Kyoto, recognizing his 50 years of service as a minister. On October 22, 2023, Rev. Izumi delivered his final Dharma talk as the head minister of the BTSA, which he had helped to establish several years earlier through tireless work.
Yasuo shared the Dharma through his writing throughout his life. He is the author of books written in Japanese and English, including, “To Light Up One Corner,” “Kudensho,” and “The Story of Hanako,” a story written from the perspective of Hanako, the family’s beloved black Labrador Retriever. He worked diligently to compile many of the sermons he wrote and delivered over his career in a series of booklets called “Dharma: My Guiding Light.” His final booklet, “Dharma: My Guiding Light No. 16,” was printed in September 2023, just one month before his retirement.
Yasuo married his wife, Sachi, shortly before arriving in Canada to begin their new life. Sachi was the love of his life, he would tell his children. Together they would share hopes and dreams for the future, and at times, homesickness, loneliness and isolation, as they navigated the country that would become their permanent home. Shortly after he began his new job at the Lethbridge Buddhist Temple, Yasuo started a newsletter, Hikari. Sachi helped write addresses on the envelopes for each member, then sealed, stamped and mailed the early editions of Yasuo’s newsletter. Yasuo and Sachi soon came to love Canada and made many new friends who welcomed them into their lives and homes for New Year’s Day dinners, family barbecues, and weekends on Vancouver Island. In more recent years, Yasuo could often be found with Sachi getting ice cream at Dairy Queen or McDonald’s, walking their dog, Taro, and taking road trips simply to enjoy the beauty of nature.
Yasuo’s career demanded his attention 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but still, he found time to spend with his family. Dad took the most pleasure in the simplest things in life, and he taught his three daughters and two sons – his “treasures,” as he once referred to them – not to take anything for granted and instilled in them an appreciation and love for all things in the world, teaching them to treat all living things with respect and compassion. “Results will come later,” he often told them. Dad would pack Sachi and his five children into one of many station wagons over the years to go camping in Chilliwack or take the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria every Christmas for a real adventure that would include visits to Miniature World, the Wax Museum, and the Empress Hotel. His children would all grow up to share his curiosity and appreciation of nature, adventure, and the simple things in life, as well as his love of reading and lifelong learning. In time, Yasuo would welcome three sons-in-law and two daughters-in-law to his family. He especially looked forward to spending time with his sons and sons-in-law playing golf, listening and dancing to Tom Jones, and engaging in deep conversations over beers.
Yasuo had nine grandchildren, ages 8 to 23 years old. To them, “Ojiichan” or “Grandpa” was a gentle and kind-hearted man with a child-like sense of humour. He was possessed by a mischievous spirit and would gleefully participate in arm wrestling matches with them and competitions to see who could do the most push-ups. He would happily spend time with them, going for walks, writing their names in Japanese calligraphy (shuji), and watching action movies and YouTube videos together. At the temple, they watched in awe as Ojiichan chanted sutras and delivered sermons to a rapt audience, a man who was smaller than most of his grandchildren, suddenly appearing larger than life with the attention he received from his congregation.
Despite his small stature, Izumi-sensei, as he was widely known, was a pillar in the Japanese and Buddhist communities and beyond, and he could fill a room with his energy and his easy-going and friendly nature. He was a man of few words but had the ability to inspire everyone he met with his genuine kindness, compassion and humanity. He truly believed that all living beings are equal and started the annual Pet Memorial Service held each February at the BTSA. He was well-known for his charitable work serving the community and in 2018, he received the Consul-General of Japan’s Commendation, recognizing his efforts in sharing Japanese culture and Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in the community. Every New Year’s Eve, he could be found at Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, at the bell ringing service in frigid Alberta temperatures, ringing in the new year, an event that attracts upwards of 100 visitors. In the warmer summer months, he could be found enthusiastically pounding out a beat on the taiko drums during the annual Obon Odori Festival at Galt Gardens, brightly decorated with paper lanterns that he brought in through donations from Akita prefecture in Japan. He made regular visits to the Lethbridge Correctional Centre as a chaplain, meeting with inmates and listening without judgement, and to Chinook Regional Hospital as a spiritual care advisor where he showed genuine compassion and offered guidance to patients and families in their darkest moments, telling them, “We all must die when the time comes and we must part from our loved ones one day.
Amida Buddha of great compassion appears for our suffering, sadness and loneliness, and is calling to us, ‘I am with you always.'”
Yasuo retired from his formal work as a minister in October 2023 but continued to contribute to the community. He volunteered his time teaching Japanese calligraphy at Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden. A gifted artist, Yasuo taught himself the art of Japanese “sumi-e” painting, and included many of his original works in his final booklet. He will be remembered for his unwavering and lifelong dedication to sharing the teachings of the Buddha and could always be heard reciting the Nembutsu, Namo Amida Butsu. We feel peace of mind knowing that he has heard Amida Buddha calling to him, “Please come home as you are, your true home of the Pure Land is ready for you.” and that he is there with Hanako, waiting patiently for his loved ones to be born in Amida’s realm and be with them again.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the many people across the country who offered their friendship, support and encouragement to Yasuo during his 54- year life in Canada as well as the paramedics at Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services, the staff at the Chinook Regional Hospital Intensive Care Unit, and Christensen Salmon Generations Funeral Home for their care and compassion.
Yasuo leaves behind Sachi, his wife of 54 years, five children, Michelle (Bruce) Penn, Betty (Geoff) Izumi, Sophia (Harindra) Wijeysundera, Hugh (Cam) Izumi, and Ernest (Kaori) Izumi, nine grandchildren, Matthew, Emiko, Olivia, Sunil, Caroline, Amali, Lucy, Mona and Masahiro, and dog, Taro.
An opportunity to express condolences, pay respects, and sign a memorial book will be made available at Christensen Salmon Generations Funeral Home located at 703-13 Street North, Lethbridge, Alberta from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Tuesday, November 5 through Thursday, November 14. Condolences may also be posted on the Tribute Wall on the Christensen Salmon Generations Funeral Home webpage at csgfh.ca. The family respectfully declines flowers or Koden.
In gassho.
To send a message of condolence please visit www.generationsfh.ca