Joann Kyoko Kline

Kyoko Nakayama was born on September 7, 1936 to Katsutaro and Kiku Nakayama in the city of Tokyo, Japan. She was the middle daughter of three sisters. Her father was a colonel in the Japanese military during WWII, exposing her to spoken English during her childhood. Her family owned and operated a Japanese restaurant in Fuchu, Tokyo, which they lived above throughout her childhood. She was an avid swimmer from an early age, leading her to many competitions and, eventually, the Olympic Trials when she was a teenager. At the Trials, she swam Breaststroke in the four-stroke relay, but her team didn't qualify after one of her teammates fell short by tenths of a second on her time.

While working at her family's restaurant in 1957, she met Don Kline, who was based in Fuchu during his US Air Force deployment. They dated for three years, and were married on June 30, 1960 at the American Embassy in Japan. Their daughter, Willie Ann, was born the next year in Condon, Oregon. Their son, Donald Wade Jr, was born in 1964 in Melbourne, Australia. From 1957-1976, Don's military career took them all across the world, living in three countries, and various US states. When they relocated to the US, Kyoko chose her American name, Joann. In 1976, after Don's military retirement, they settled in San Bernardino, California. While there, Joann worked as a kitchen supervisor for twenty-one years at Loma Linda Medical Center. In 1997, she became a grandmother to Lindsey, born to Willie Ann. Her second granddaughter, Lainey, followed in 2000. After retirement, Joann spent most of her time cooking for her grandchildren, gardening, swimming at the YMCA well into her 70s, traveling for BINGO games with her Japanese friends, and watching ample amounts of Japanese Sumo on television. She was deeply cherished and will be greatly missed by her family, as well as her beloved dog, Abbey.

To honor her memory, a funeral service for Joann will be held Wednesday, November 27, 2024 at 10:30 AM at Mt. View Mortuary & Cemetery, 570 East Highland Ave, San Bernardino, CA 92404, followed by a reception from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM.