TRIBUTE
Joe A. Uchida (Photo – Bellefontaine Nursery)
Walking into Bellefontaine reminds me of the enchanted forests and quiet gardens that impressed me since childhood.
By Kath Abela Wilson
The greeting is always personal at Bellefontaine. I feel welcome to become part of this generations-old Pasadena family.
On November 13th the Uchida family and Bellefontaine Nursery lost their beloved patriarch.
Joe A. Uchida was the fifth child of Kuniyoshi and Sayo Uchida, who founded the nursery in 1939. Joe was born and raised in Pasadena. When WWII broke out, he and his family were incarcerated at Gila River internment camp where he graduated from high school. The garden nursery was kept alive by friends while Joe and his family were incarcerated in Arizona.
In August 1945 Joe was drafted into the US Army. Upon completion of his military service, he attended USC on the G.I. Bill, graduating with a business degree and becoming a proud lifelong Trojan! From 1952 until his retirement in 2006, Joe was instrumental in the growth and development of the nursery.
In 1952 Joe married the love of his life, Agnes Ashizawa. Together they had three children, Alan, Craig, and Naomi, three grandchildren, Maria, Jennifer, and Melinda and two great-grandchildren, Cora and Lucy. Joe’s son, Alan, and his nephew, Dale, are the third generation to run the nursery, one of the oldest Japanese American establishments in Pasadena.
If you knew Joe, you knew his smile and his wry sense of humor. Joe lived a long and fulfilling life. He will be missed by all of us who loved him.
In lieu of flowers, donations are appreciated in Joe’s name to:
- National Japanese American Memorial Foundation (NJAMF)
4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW, #106-236
Washington DC 20016
Or
- Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute
595 Lincoln Ave., #201
Pasadena, CA 91103
Editor’s Note: This article has been published first in our Holiday Print Edition, December 2020.
Condolence…