Exhibit: Santa Barbara Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage, 1870s-1970s
Richard Hiromu Tokumaru (1905-1993)
Gardener, Hard Worker, Resilient Person
By Janet Tokumaru
Richard Tokumaru, c1930
Richard Hiromu Tokumaru was born in Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii on December 1, 1905. He was the third of five siblings to parents, Yoshito and Chie Tokumaru. His parents had immigrated from Japan to Hawaii and worked in sugar cane fields and rice planting. After his parents passed away, Richard and his younger brother lived in an orphanage and Richard worked in a drugstore from a young age to support his brother. As an adult, Richard traveled to Japan and took up photography as a hobby before he moved to Los Angeles, California where he worked in a grocery store.
Shortly before World War II, Richard married Mary Ayako Sakamoto in California. Executive Order 9066 prompted them to voluntarily relocate to Montana. Working on a railroad repair crew, harsh winters and living conditions, and isolation from familiar community was challenging. They endured those times unlike any other, even as they started their family there where their son, Dennis was born.
After the war, the family moved to Carpinteria where Richard worked as a groundskeeper and the family lived on the property. Dennis was a toddler by then and the family had reconnected with distant relatives and new friends in the Santa Barbara area. From there, the family moved to Dos Pueblos Ranch where Mary worked for the orchid company as a laboratory technician and Richard worked as a gardener for the ranch owner. While living on the ranch, Janet was born.
Janet, Richard, and Dennis, 1966
Santa Barbara News Press, 1967
Richard later continued his gardening career elsewhere including La Sumida in Santa Barbara and Kona Village, Hawaii where he eventually retired and returned to the Santa Barbara area.
Over the years, he was active in the Santa Barbara Gardeners Association and the Japanese American Citizens League. In his gardening career, he received recognition on a few occasions, one of which was for his work on a Santa Barbara Flower Show exhibit for Dos Pueblos Ranch in 1967.
As a retiree, Richard enjoyed offering plant and garden advice to friends and relatives. During his time in Santa Barbara, he spent many a happy hour with his son, daughter-in-law, Tommi [Tomoye] and grandchildren Eve and Dean. Subsequently, at Kiku Gardens in Chula Vista, he cultivated a vegetable garden and spent time with his daughter, son-in-law, Dennis and grandson, Yoshi. Richard loved watching his grandchildren play sports, family gatherings over delicious Japanese and other favorite food, casino blackjack, poker games with his friends, and Dodger baseball games.
Dennis, Janet, and Richard, 1968