Akira Horita

Akira (Aki) Horita passed away peacefully at home, April 23, 2023, at age 94. He was preceded in death by his parents, Kasumi and Toshiko Horita, and his sister, Yoko Adachi (Sei), and is survived by wife Lillian, son David (Traci Porter), daughter Mari, and granddaughter Naomi Fina.

Aki was born in Seattle on June 10, 1928. Prior to the issuance of EO 9066 during WWII, the family moved to Moses Lake to avoid mandatory relocation to an incarceration camp, and Aki graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1946. The family then returned to Seattle, where Aki met his to-be wife Lillian M. Hayashi. In 1954, Aki earned his PhD in pharmacology from the University of Washington. Also that year, he and Lillian were married, and Aki was drafted into the U.S. Army. Following his honorable discharge in 1956, Aki returned to the UW as a faculty member where he rose to the rank of full professor in the Departments of Pharmacology (1966) and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences (1987). During his 40-year tenure at the UW, Aki maintained an active research laboratory and coauthored over 185 publications before retiring in 1996. He took particular pride in teaching, and over his career mentored many graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting scientists.

Aki greatly enjoyed the outdoors, especially fishing, clamming, and mushrooming in the Pacific NW with his family. He loved spicy hot foods and the Schubert Trout quintet, and was an avid handball, racquetball, and pickleball player. He also traveled, and one of his favorite memories was the family trip to Rome in 1992. His later years were blessed by his close relationship with his granddaughter, Naomi, now a freshman in college.

Aki will be missed and remembered by his extended family, friends, and former colleagues. His family also expresses its gratitude to Continuum Care of Washington hospice. In keeping with Aki’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. Donations in memory of Aki can be made to the organization of your choice.