Mitsugi passed away on February 18, 2013. He is survived by his wife Mae. They would have celebrated 60 years of marriage on February 28.
He is also survived by son Jerry and his wife Joanne, daughter Jill Tange and husband Chris, son Kevin and his wife Lynn and grandchildren Ashley Naemura and husband Jeff & Eric Tange and Corrie and Ryan Fukuda.
Mits was born in Fresno on April 24, 1926. He grew up on the family farm until WWII, at which time he was relocated to the Fresno Assembly Center and then to camps in Arkansas and Tule Lake, CA.
He returned to Fresno after WWII ended. He was drafted into the U.S. Army and was stationed in Kentucky. He served as an instructor of tank gunnery for the 3rd Armored Division during the Korean conflict.
He worked many years on his farm and as a tailor for Walter Smith and Patrick James. He enjoyed social activities and leadership positions with the Fresno Buddhist Temple and the Breakfast Optimist Club. Mits loved life and enjoyed bringing smiles and laughter to everyone he met.
Memorial Services will be held at the Fresno Betsuin Family Dharma Center at 2690 E. Alluvial, Fresno, CA on Sunday February 24, 2013 at 2:00 pm.