Ronald H. Ozaki died Dec. 14, 2018, surrounded by family. He was 91. Ron was born on June 6, 1927, to Shigetaro Ozaki and Fujiyo Minato. His parents and oldest brother immigrated from Japan and settled on the Big Island in Hawaii in the small village of Pauka’a, where Ron, his two older brothers and sister were born. His sister died when she was 3 years old.
Ron worked in the cane fields with his family and attended school in Pauka’a. He was the valedictorian of his ninth-grade class, the year the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and he recalls beginning his speech with the words “We are at war.”
His family moved to the Island of Oahu when Ron was a teenager and he graduated from McKinley High School in Honolulu in 1945. He was drafted into the Army the same year and was stationed at Fort Lewis, in Washington. Two years later he joined the ROTC program at the University of Hawaii. In 1951 he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology.
He met Millie Yamanaka while still on active duty in Hawaii and the two married on April 11, 1953. They moved to St. Louis, where their daughter and oldest son were born. Ron earned his master’s in social work at St. Louis’s Washington University in 1955 and his doctor of social work in 1960.
They returned to Hawaii and Ron worked in the state prison system as a social worker until 1963, when the University of Nebraska hired him to teach social work, and they made their home in Lincoln.
Their youngest son was born in Lincoln and Ron went on to lead the social work department at the university, retiring as full professor in 1991. He also served in the Army Reserves for many years, reaching the rank of colonel before he retired in 2001.
Ron remained active for many years as a member of the Sunrise Kiwanis Club and driving the train at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, where he was recently honored for his 20 years of service. He also volunteered for the Lincoln Public Schools Early Childhood (Head Start) program, working with children at Belmont, Riley, Elliott, Meadow Lane and Kahoa elementary schools. He organized zoo day for all the Head Start families through his Kiwanis group.
Ron and Millie also were active at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church for many years.
Ron’s love of his family may be his greatest legacy. His compassion, service to others, the importance he placed on education and his love of life served as a compass that has guided his children and grandchildren. An injury in January limited his mobility but not his spirit, and he was known to sing Japanese songs to the staff that cared for him at Holmes Lake Manor. He often called his grandchildren “kolohe” – the Hawaiian term for “rascal” – a trait they inherited from Ron, the biggest and most kind-hearted “kolohe” in the family.
Ronald is survived by daughter, Claire Ozaki of Houston, TX; son, Andrew Ozaki (Margaret) of Lincoln, NE and daughter-in-law Pat Ozaki of Lawrence, KS; grandchildren Marshall (Peggy), Grant, Will, Steven, Caitlyn, Daniel and Megan. He is preceded in death by his parents; wife; son, David; brothers, Lawrence, Shigeo, Richard, and sister, Asako.
Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday (12/22) at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 6001 A Street, Lincoln, NE. Interment to follow service, at the church’s columbarium.
Memorials to Holy Trinity Episcopal Church or the Lincoln Sunrise Kiwanis Foundation.