Naomi Fujimoto was born on June 7, 1949 in Brooks, Alberta. She spent most of her childhood there and was in the graduating class of 1967. After high school she moved to Calgary Alberta and attended Secretarial school. She lived and worked in Calgary from 1967 to 1971. On August 21, 1971 she married George Fujimoto in Lethbridge, Alberta. Naomi called Fernie home in 1974 and raised her family there. She worked at the Tom Uphill home as a house keeper and then as the cook.
Before getting sick Naomi spent many hours enjoying hobbies such as ceramic work, paper tole embroidering and painting Ukrainian eggs. She loved spending time with family and friends playing cards or just having a visit over coffee. She also made a point to going to every garage sale possible and as many Fernieites know, she was a tough bargainer.
Naomi is survived by her loving and devoted husband George Fujimoto, her children Craig and Brad and his wife Jessica, her grandchildren Kai and Kiyomi, her mother Tosh Kinoshita, her brother Jerry and wife Kathy Kinoshita, her brother Bill and wife Sherry Kinoshita, her sister Linda and husband Stan Bandura, and her sister Susan and husband Yosh Aimoto as well as many nieces and nephews.
If you knew Naomi, her spirit was filled with joy and laughter and emanated love to all of her family and friends. Her greatest joy in life was her grandchildren, Kai and Kiyomi. Just the sound of their voices uplifted her spirits and took away her pain, if only for a second. She brought a smile to everyone she knew with just the sound of her laughter. She was a person with a heart of gold and integrity; she never spoke negatively about anyone. Even though she was in a considerable amount of pain and discomfort, she never complained and was concerned about everyone else’s well-being instead of herself. Her character and attitude will surely be cherished by the people who loved and knew her.
Naomi lost her battle with cancer on May 13, 2013 but it never broke the essence of her character. She was taken from us too soon but her spirit will be remembered and cherished in our hearts forever.
Naomi’s family would like to thank all the relatives and friends who took the time out of their busy schedules to help them through these trying times. All the meals, kind gestures and visits were very much appreciated to them and especially to Naomi. They are grateful to have such wonderful people in their lives.