Remembering Martha Onishi
For over thirty years, Martha Onishi was a fixture in the FIUTS community. From hosting countless students, to volunteering at Wednesday Lunch, to cooking treats for the FIUTS staff, Martha and Kenji Onishi have represented the living embodiment of the FIUTS mission in action.
Martha passed away in September 2021. Her dedication, her kindness, and her legacy of peace and understanding will never be forgotten.
We are honored to have had such an extraordinary woman help make the years at FIUTS so special for so many. To honor her life and time at FIUTS, here are some photos and memories from staff, fellow volunteers, and UW alumni. If you knew Martha, we invite you to share your own in the comments.
Martha and Kenji Onishi with their host student at International Welcome Night in 2012
“I remember the first time I heard about Martha and Kenji. I had just started in my role at FIUTS and I was meeting with all of the FIUTS Student Board members. In several meetings, the students told me about Wednesday Lunch and how they enjoyed talking with the Onishis and the other volunteers. It was the end of the quarter, though, so I didn’t have a chance to meet them in person until several weeks later, when they hosted some students in our summer visiting group from Minami Kyushu Junior College. On the day of the host pick up, a woman handed me a grocery bag with an apple corer, apron and towels in it. Martha had washed the laundry from the last Wednesday Lunch of the year (and purchased a new apple corer!) and brought them with her to the host pick up. She was always so practical and thoughtful, and she made everyone around her feel safe and welcome.
“In 2008, FIUTS’ 60th anniversary, I had the honor of presenting Martha and Kenji with a lifetime achievement award to recognize their many years of hosting and volunteering in this community. They have always given so much of their time and energy to the organization and to the many students they hosted. Even though they were uncomfortable being recognized in this public way, I’m so glad that I had the chance to share the amazing contributions they made to this organization. Together, Martha and Kenji’s work with FIUTS represents the very best kind of citizen diplomacy – and they serve as an example to me and to the many lives they touched around the world.” -Era Schrepfer, FIUTS Executive Director
Martha Onishi, right, with Bronwyn Smith and Chuck Thulin in 1988
“Martha Onishi became a treasured ancestor last month, but she has for generations been a FIUTS legend. How many students benefited from the hospitality she and Kenji Onishi so lovingly provided, opening their homes for homestays, Thanksgiving meals, and more? Countless. How many trays of Wednesday Lunch fare did she so carefully prepare, accompanied by her trademark good humor and ready smile? Thousands. Martha experienced the worst of humanity as a child whose life was interrupted by Executive Order 9066, but her spirit of service and joy of human connection was no match for the small minds and fear-driven policymakers. Her remarkable life of boundless generosity is a testament to the triumph of human goodness and interdependence. Martha understood that more than most, and FIUTS was lucky to have her in our midst.” -Anita Verna Crofts, former FIUTS Executive Director
FIUTS Wednesday Lunch staff and volunteers in 2009
“Martha was a kind and giving person who made the students and other volunteers feel welcomed at FIUTS Wednesday Lunch. Martha and my wife, Masako would talk about many things while preparing and cleaning for the lunches. Martha would always be encouraging and give helpful advice about life in the US to Masako as a new arrival from Japan. We visited their home many times and enjoyed tea and rice cakes together. Martha and Kenji even came to my daughter’s high school Japanese class to share their experiences in the internment camp during the war. Many affectionate memories come to mind and we pray for her and her surviving family.” -Ken Lee, FIUTS supporter and volunteer
Wednesday Lunch staff and volunteers in June 2008
“I had the pleasure of working alongside Martha and Kenji each Wednesday while serving as the Manager of Student Programs at FIUTS. Wednesdays were such a wonderful day in the week because like clockwork, around 10ish, Martha would pop her head into the FIUTS office, which was my cue to drop what I was doing and head to the kitchen. Martha knew the routine better than I did, as her service to FIUTS's Wednesday lunch had spanned many years. She would roll up her sleeves and start the various tasks. She wasn't overly chatty but took a respectful interest in others, inquiring about life's happenings. She and Kenji were an adorable team. Following set up, and the opening of the doors to the crowd, she would dutifully maintain the food tables and at some brief point, enjoy the food, some conversation and get back to work. She was a great example; someone who cared about her community and clearly her values not only played out in her words but in her actions, such as her dedication to the FIUTS community. I am truly honored to have crossed paths with Martha and Kenji as their example will not be lost on me.” -India Fitting Koh, former FIUTS staff
Kimika with Kenji and Martha in 2019. Kimika met them in 2001 and graduated from UW in 2003, and has kept in touch and visited Martha and Kenji regularly.
Our Dearest Martha,
You filled all of our hearts with your kindness, smiles, laughter and love.
You brought happiness to our lives.
Without you, our lives would be different.
Thank you very much, Martha, for everything you had done and shared your time with us!
You’ll be truly missed, but remembered in all of our hearts forever…
- Kimika Fujiwara, UW alumna (2003)
Martha and Kenji at a FIUTS Community Potluck event.
Martha and Kenji have touched the lives of countless people in the FIUTS community and beyond, and their decades of contributions will continue to live on in our memories. Please feel free to share your own thoughts and memories to celebrate Martha’s life in the comments.