Ryo Inouye was born on July 20, 1937 to George Akiro and Fumio Inouye in Tacoma, Washington. As their firstborn, he had two younger sisters, Nancy and Harumi. After graduating from Stadium High School in 1955, Ryo graduated from the UW with a BA in journalism in 1959. He was married a month before graduation, then had two children. His career in journalism included work at “The Oregonian.” After that, he moved the family to Bellevue to join the staff at the “Seattle Times” where in 24 years he served as copy chief, news editor, and Sunday editor until he retired in 1991.
In his free time, Ryo enjoyed fishing and hiking, but his real passion was his family. Grandpa/Uncle Ryo made it to as many of his grandkids’ and family’s athletic events as he could, including soccer games in the Tri-Cities and Morgan Hill and volleyball matches in Seattle. Ryo also enjoyed poker and played competitively throughout his life. He gained a reputation as a dominant force at the table, as was seen in his winning of several local tournaments.
Ryo was extremely skilled at crossword puzzles, loved clean cars, and being on time. Most of all, he made sure his children and grandchildren had all they needed. He remembered every birthday, holiday and anniversary and loved his family dearly.
Ryo is survived by his son Mark (Beth), daughter Leslie (LaMar), sisters Nancy (Buddy) Robnett and Harumi Maddell, grandson James (Chrissy), and granddaughters Alyson (David), Rebekah (Ryan) and Lanai. He was also a beloved uncle/friend to many.
The family recommends that memorials go to the Heart Mountain “Memory and Endowment Fund” (shopheartmountain.org), where Ryo and his family were incarcerated during WWII.
