Gay Tokumaru Bessen

Gay Tokumaru Bessen, 55 died on March 9th, 2018 after a brief battle with cancer. As vivid as the streaks of color in her hair, she reveled in the love of her husband, Andy Bessen, and the company of her friends and family. Gay loved the outdoors, loved to travel with Andy, and would cheerfully haul him out of the house or the hotel in the wee hours to hike a mountain and watch the sunrise. Gay grew up in Hawaii and graduated from Brown University and UC Berkeley School of Optometry. Dr. Tokumaru went on to become the Chief of Optometry at the Hampton VA Medical Center in Virginia, a professional journey that provided care to our veterans for 29 years. Gay met many strangers, but had a knack of leaving as friends. Gay is survived by her husband Andy, her mother Ann Tokumaru of Hawaii, her cats, her two brothers, numerous family and great friends, all of whom will miss her dearly. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent in her memory to Nelson County Almost Home Pet Adoption Center, 29 Stagebridge Road, Lovington, Virginia 22949-2446. Her memorial service will be held at Nelsen Funeral Home on 3785 Strawberry Plains Road in Williamsburg, Virginia at 1:30 on Saturday, March 24th. Following the service, guests are invited to join in a toast to Gay at Craft 31 at 3701 Strawberry Plains Road. There will be a service held in Honolulu at a later date. Online condolences may be offered at www.nelsenwilliamsburg.com.