Ruth Keiko Atagi
Ruth Keiko Atagi (nee Shimizu) passed away on February 25, 2013 at Kootenay Lake Hospital in Nelson, BC with family at her side. She was 74 years of age. She is survived by her husband Yute (Yutaka), her sons – Gene (Susanne) of Campbell River, BC and Dana (Valerie) of Smithers, BC, and her sister-in-law Aya Higashi of Kaslo, BC. Ruth was born on December 14, 1938 in New Westminster, BC to Rinzo and Ayako (Eleanor) Shimizu. She was preceded in death by her father, mother, step-father (Dick Magami), and older brother Daniel.
Ruth was two years old when her father became ill and passed away early in 1941. Ruth’s mom Eleanor endured the forced moved to Kaslo with her two young children later that year. Ruthspent her childhood years interned in Kaslo along with many other Japanese Canadians and graduated from Kaslo High in 1955. Ruth began her nursing training at St. Paul’s Hospital School of Nursing in Vancouver during the fall of 1957 at the age of 18. She graduated from the program in the fall of 1960. It was during this time period when Yute would occasionally drive from the Kootenays to visit Ruth in Vancouver for a weekend and then drive all night to be back for work with the railway for Monday morning.
Ruth and best friend, Betty Reimer, undertook a big journey to Toronto after their graduation in 1960 to practice as registered nurses for about a year until a position became available at the hospital in Trail and Ruth moved back to BC. On April 21, 1962, Ruth married Yutaka Atagi in Kaslo and soon after began raising her family. 1970 was when Yute’s job with CP Rail moved the Atagi family from Kaslo to Gore Street in Nelson. Ruth had taken a 15 year hiatus from nursing to be a full time mom for Gene and Dana. In 1978, Ruth recertified her training and once again became a practicing registered nurse at Mount St. Francis Hospital with extended care patients. Ruth retired in 1995 after being diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disorder known as polyarteritis nodosa. In 2007, Ruth was diagnosed with lung cancer. She won the battle with her cancer but the treatment left her to deal with COPD and a life of being on supplemental oxygen. Even with all of this, she still was known for her brilliant smile right up until her last day.
Ruth loved to camp and fish. Yute would say she loved fishing more than he does. For the past several years, Ruth did not spend much time on the lake but certainly enjoyed the luxury camping life with the great friends at Schroeder Creek Resort where her smile and laughter could be seen and heard from a good distance at almost any time of the day. She will be dearly missed by her family and many close friends.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Richard Milde for his exceptional care and treatment he provided to Ruth over the years. A memorial service was held on Saturday, March 2nd in the chapel of Thompson Funeral Home in Nelson, BC. The family requests that donations may be made to the Kootenay Lake Hospital Foundation in memory of Ruth.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.thompsonfs.ca
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Thompson Funeral Service Ltd.
