Matsue Yamazaki Dewese

Matsue Y. Dewese of Shawsville passed away peacefully on April 17, 2017. Born August 10, 1936 in Saitama Ken, Japan, she lost her parents, Akitaro Yamazaki and Tusya Kuniya during the war in 1942. She married the late George E. Dewese at the American Embassy in Tokyo, Japan in 1964, then entered the U.S. and later became a citizen in 1970. She worked for General Electric, retiring after 26 years of service. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star, Chapter 161, and received the Radford University Lifetime Achievement Award.

She loved life and loved caring for and helping others. She was very humble and kind, never forgetting the life she had prior to coming to the United States. She loved the outdoors and tending her flower gardens and especially her rose bushes. She had a soft spot for animals, especially cats. During the course of her lifetime she rescued and cared for many stray cats. Although she had no children, she positively impacted numerous young adults through her generous acts of supporting youth programs and endowing local scholarships, particularly at Radford University.

She is survived by her dear friend and longtime care provider, Mary Ann Cole whom she often referred to as her daughter and by the Cole family. She will also be missed by her friends Alva, Carolyn, Helen, Irmgard and Nancy at the Showalter Assisted Living Center in Warm Hearth Village.

A visitation service will be held on April 26, 2017, at 2:00 PM at Horne Funeral Home, followed by a Memorial Service at 3 p.m. in the Chapel. There will be a private interment.

Special thanks to the staff at both the Showalter Center and the Cove at Kroontje Healthcare Center as well as the professionals of Good Samaritan Hospice for the kindness and loving care provided during the last few months. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to either the Virginia Scottish Rite Foundation, c/o Leonard Rowe, 613 Turner Road, Salem, VA 24153-2301, to Warm Hearth Foundation, 2603 Warm Hearth Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060, or to Good Samaritan Hospice, 1160 Moose Drive, Christiansburg, VA 24073.