Kasai, George J.

George J. Kasai, 95, of Marion, died at Summit Pointe on Friday, July 20, 2012. Memorial Services: 11 a.m. Tuesday at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories, Cedar Rapids, by the Rev. Paul Wilcox of Lovely Lane United Methodist Church. Inurnment: Los Angeles, Calif.

George was born April 8, 1917, in Los Angeles, to Araji and Kichino Kasai. He graduated from UCLA with a B.A. degree in zoology in 1942. During World War II, he was interned at Poston, Ariz., along with thousands of other Japanese-Americans. He married Tama Katako on July 7, 1946, in Chicago and received his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Chicago on March 14, 1952. He then taught and did cholera research for the University of Chicago, and submitted several papers on his research at the World Health Organization in Switzerland. In 1969, he entered government service with the U.S. Army at a medical laboratory at Camp Zama, Japan and later at Fort Sam Houston, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas.

He retired at the age of 70 in San Antonio, where he volunteered at a local hospital. After his wife died, he moved to Cedar Rapids, where he volunteered at St. Luke's Hospital. He lived in Waverly for several years and then moved to Summit Pointe in Marion, where he lived until his death.

George is survived by his three daughters, Margaret Freeburg (William) of Cedar Rapids, Elizabeth Collins (Keith) of Waverly and Patricia Kasai of San Antonio, Texas. Also surviving are grandchildren, Chad Freeburg (Courtney Gerber) of Minneapolis, Eric Wilcox Freeburg (Emily) of Boston, Mass., Brian Collins (Deborah) of Durham, N.C., and Jeanette Scharnhorst (Adam) of Oelwein; and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Tama; and two brothers.

Memorials may be directed to Summit Pointe or the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

Please leave a message or tribute on the Web page, www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.

Published July 22, 2012 in The Gazette