Kenzo “Gunner” Moriguchi passed away on Jan. 14 in Seattle. He was 85 years old.
The eldest of seven children, Moriguchi grew up in Tacoma until World War II, when he and his family were sent to a Japanese internment camp at Tule Lake in California. After the war, they relocated to Seattle.
In 1956, Moriguchi earned a bachelor’s degree from Seattle University and then served two years in the U.S. Army. Afterwards, he worked for his father’s Japanese grocery store, Uwajimaya. When his father passed away in 1962, he and his brothers managed the Uwajimaya business and oversaw its growth with the addition of new stores and other Asian products.
Moriguchi was also a member of the Nisei Veterans Committee and a true sports fan. In his younger years, he played basketball and often continuously fired off shots giving him the nickname “Gunner.” He loved watching sports on TV, especially football and golf.
A private service was held at Evergreen Washelli Funeral Home