Yukiko Kimura Marable

Yukiko Kimura Marable, known by many as “Judy”, passed away peacefully in her sleep at age 87 on Friday morning, December 13, 2019, at her home near High Shoals, Georgia. She courageously battled Parkinson’s disease and other medical issues for more than ten years. Yukiko Kimura was born on May 13, 1932 in the city of Hiroshima, Japan. She was the fifth child in a family of seven born into the loving arms of father, Goro Kimura, and mother Yoshiko Miyoui. Yukiko attended kindergarten and elementary school in Hiroshima. At age 9, when the Japanese military war machine attacked Pearl Harbor, she began to realize what the ravages of war would mean to her and her family. Later she experienced actual sightings of US B-29 bombers flying overhead to bomb Japanese military instillations in near-by cities. She remembered hearing the frightening sounds of bomb explosions in the far distances. At the age of 12 she moved with her family to Beppu, Oita Prefecture, located on Kyushu Island, Japan. This was about six months before the atomic bomb devastated the city and destroyed her family home in downtown Hiroshima where her father owned and operated a radio repair business. Yukiko, at age 17, graduated from the Beppu Girls High School in 1949. She enrolled in a fashion design school where she became an accomplished seamstress. Yukiko later trained as a clerk-typist and became employed with the US Armed Forces Far East Command at Camp Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Her assigned duties were clerk-typist with the US Army Hospital, Medical Supply, at Camp Otsu. It was there she met Pvt. Robert S. “Bob” Marable who was stationed at the US Army Hospital as a medical equipment technician. Yukiko and Bob were married August 27,1958 at the US Embassy in Tokyo, Japan. In November 1958 she and Bob traveled to Oconee County, Georgia to live. Yukiko later became a naturalized American citizen in 1967. In 1959 Yukiko gave birth to her only child, Blane Marable. After her son entered middle school, she became employed as an Assembler-Trainer with the Westclox Division of General Times Corporation, Athens, GA. After twenty-six years of service, she retired in 1995. Upon her retirement Yukiko became interested in art, specifically handmade pottery. She also became an active volunteer for the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF) in Watkinsville. In 2001 she was named and honored as Volunteer of the Year for OCAF. After taking several classes in hand building pottery at OCAF’s School Street Studios, she began to make and sell her own unique style of functional stoneware pottery under the name “Yukiko Pottery”. Demand for her pottery continued to grow and Yukiko and Bob constructed a pottery studio at their home near High Shoals. Since its beginning Yukiko was an active supporter of the Oconee County Rotary Club and Rotary’s motto, “Service above Self”.  In 2002 Yukiko became a Paul Harris Fellow through the local Rotary Club. Yukiko was an avid gardener for many years. Her love for nature, especially flowers, can be seen year around in her landscaped yards at her home. More recently she became attached to a miniature Yorkshire terrier named “Yumi”. Yumi became her constant companion in her later years. Yukiko was a member of the Bishop Baptist Church after being baptized at the old Watkinsville Baptist Church in 1965. Yukiko was preceded in death by her father Goro Kimura; her mother Yoshiko Miyoui; brothers Kazuhiko, Meinoru, Tutomu (Hideko) and two sisters, Sonoko Miyazaki, Tamiko Nakashima, all of Japan. Yukiko is survived by her husband, Robert S. “Bob” Marable, High Shoals; son  Blane Marable and daughter-in-law Judy Andrews Marable, Athens; granddaughter Mary Ashley Marable Young, husband Timothy (Tim) James Young, great-grandson Caleb James Young, Fredericksburg, Virginia; sister Masako Shiibara, Oita, Japan; a number of nieces, nephews and other relatives currently living in Japan. A public memorial service for Yukiko will be held at the Thomas Cotton Gin, 3753 Greensboro Hwy, Watkinsville, GA 30677, starting at 2:00 p.m.  Sunday afternoon, January 12, 2020. A planned program titled, “Let’s All Come Together and Celebrate the Life of Yukiko (Judy) K. Marable” will be presented. Light refreshments will be provided. A visual display of Yukiko’s life and achievements will be presented. In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to the Memory Garden Fund, OCAF Art Center, P O Box 631, Watkinsville, GA 30677 or to the Rotary Foundation, Rotary Club of Oconee County, PO Box 76, Watkinsville, GA 30677. The Lord & Stephens Funeral Home West, 1211 Jimmy Daniel Road, Bogart, 706-549-3342, is in charge of arrangements. A special thanks to Caregiver Sue, Nurses Kim, Regina, and Joann for their loving care given to Yukiko in recent days.