Yayoi Corder

Born September 15, 1935 to Jiro and Miwa (Nakazawa) Tachibana in Kyoto, Japan, Yayoi was the oldest daughter and second of five children. She vividly remembered life in World War II Japan and could identify American bombers that flew over the country by the sound of their engines. Her father died when she was just 11 years old and she was left in charge of caring for her younger siblings while her mother worked two jobs to make ends meet. Growing up, she was always interested in America and loved American entertainment, preferring American movies and music; she was a huge Elvis fan.

She married Ray Corder, a sailor who was stationed in Sasebo, Japan, in December 1958, emigrating to Grand Junction, CO, in December 1959, and settling in Montrose, CO in 1960. To this union four children were born: Mayumi, Miki, Perry and Kaoru. The marriage later ended in divorce. Yayoi was a fabulous cook and enjoyed delighting people with her culinary talents. She became an American citizen in 1984 and pursued her dream of opening Sakura, a Japanese cuisine restaurant, in 1985, a business she operated for 19 years. It was a great source of happiness for her to be recognized after her retirement by former patrons who would tell her how much they missed her food, especially her egg rolls and secret egg roll sauce.

Yayoi loved traveling, spending time at the seashore and in the mountains, soaking in hot springs and exploring restaurants. She also loved flowers and had a green thumb; houseplants thrived under her care. But her greatest pride and joy was her family, especially her grandchildren. She was very involved in their lives, attending all their functions and encouraging them in their endeavors as they grew from children to adults; she was their fun and beloved Obachan. She was proud to be Japanese and instilled in her children and grandchildren a pride in their Japanese heritage as well; the three generations made an unforgettable trip together to Japan in 1998 during cherry blossom season to visit uncles, aunts and cousins, and see the land of their heritage.

Yayoi is survived by her children Mayumi (Shawn) Brill of Grand Junction; Miki (Keith) McCurdy of Phoenix, AZ; Perry (Elaine) Corder of Highlands Ranch, CO; and Kaoru Corder of Montrose; grandchildren Zach (Christa) Brill of Grand Junction; Arielle (Michael) Hewitt of Munich, Germany; Calvin McCurdy of Phoenix; and Connor McCurdy (Hannah Gilham) of Denver; and great granddaughters Ada and Amelia; and brother Shigeru Tachibana; nieces Naomi and Nami; nephews Toshiki, Hiroki and Goro of Japan.

In accordance with Yayoi’s wishes, no services are planned.