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Wakaba Takata Hollingsworth
WAKABA TAKATA HOLLINGSWORTH
Boulder, Colo.
Wakaba Takata Hollingsworth, 92, died Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021, Boulder, Colo., formerly of Cedar Rapids. She was born Feb. 3, 1929, in Himeji, Japan, to Shigeno and Teiji Takata. She was the youngest child of seven children.
Wakaba was educated at the Hinomoto Girls Christian Missionary High School
and Nursing College from 1942-48. She was in the nursing program, became proficient in English, loved playing classical music on the piano and excelled in traditional Japanese archery. She would occasionally sneak away from classes to play the piano. She volunteered to help the sick and wounded while a nursing student as the war with Japan was in its final stages. After graduating Wakaba worked for the U.S. Army in Kyoto and Yokohama as an interpreter. While in Yokohama at the Army Engineering Depot she met and began a loving relationship with her "honeybee," SFC Marvin D. Hollingsworth. Marvin affectionately called her his "chickadee." They were married in 1956 in a traditional military wedding ceremony. Soon after they were transferred stateside and began their military family lifestyle. Wakaba raised four children while Marvin was often deployed including a year in the Marshal Islands.
Wakaba worked at St. Lukes Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for 21 years. She was a technician and loved assisting nurses and patients.
Her greatest joys were family, trips to Hawaii, traveling abroad with her honeybee and spoiling her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved painting, tv westerns and Hawkeyes sports.
Wakaba is survived by sons, Kim of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Oliver (Marla) of Alexandria, Va., Lee (Sara) of Laguna Beach, Calif., and Sandra (Larry Koppelman) of Rllinsville, Colo.; five grandchildran; and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by husband and family members.
Her ashes along with her husbands ashes will be released over the ocean surf in Hawaii by family members.
Donations in her honor may be made to the United Services Organization (USO).
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