Deseret News (Salt Lake City): Obituary: Tsutomu "Tube" Horiuchi

Tsutomu "Tube" Horiuchi 09/07/24 ~ 07/08/05 Our beloved father, grandfather, brother and friend, Tsutomu "Tube" Horiuchi, passed away peacefully Friday after a short illness in a Salt Lake City hospital; he was 80. We will sorely miss our Dad and his incredible warmth and generosity as he makes his final journey to be together again with Mom, whom he loved dearly for 60 years. And we'll always cherish those times we had with him, the funny and daring stories he shared, the family gatherings and most importantly, the moments he spent with his precious grandchildren. Tube was born September 7, 1924, in Seattle to Kaga and Kaneo (Komai) Horiuchi. He was a scrappy, mischievous kid living on Jefferson Street and attending Franklin High School where he was a standout tennis player. After World War II erupted in 1941, he and more than 120,000 other Japanese Americans were interned in relocation camps. He was held in the Minidoka Relocation Center in south central Idaho before he decided to join the Army to fight for his country. Tube was a part of the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team, where he fought in Europe and was twice wounded, receiving two Purple Hearts. After the war, he returned home and moved to Salt Lake City where he met the love of his life, May "Maizie" Hakata, whom he married November 16, 1946. Since that time, Tube worked as a Las Vegas blackjack dealer, a gourmet chef at the Ambassador Club as well as the Beau Brummel restaurant. He also worked in food services for the University of Utah, St. Mark's Hospital and the Salt Lake County Jail. But his proudest accomplishment was becoming a Salt Lake County Sheriff's deputy, the first Asian-American deputy in the department. He helped start the sheriff's reserve program, volunteering one day a week for 15 years as a sworn officer before becoming a full-time deputy. At the time, he was the oldest recruit to graduate from the Utah Police Academy and later became a robbery-homicide detective. He retired after 14 years. He coached little league baseball for many years and loved golfing and bowling with his friends. He is preceded in death by his wife, May; and sister, Chiyo, and her husband, Tom Morita. He is survived by sons, Wayne (Cathy), Randy (Frances), Sherman, Vince (Kim); brother, Masaru (Ruth); grandchildren, Angela (Greg) Yvkoff, Rylie, Madeline, Ashley; numerous nieces and nephews. A private family gathering and burial will be held Wednesday at Mountain View Cemetery. Family members also would like to thank the personnel at Cottonwood Hospital, Promise Specialty Hospital and Salt Lake Regional Medical Center for their care. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Lung Association of Utah, 1930 S. 1100 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84106-2317