"... that those I mourned, by being innocently happy here, and loving all about them, had prepared themselves for a purer and happier world. The sun does not shine upon this fair earth to meet frowning eyes, depend upon it." (Nicholas Nickleby, Charles Dickens)
Those who know Roy Hayashi will attest that the sun did and does shine for him. The mirth of his eyes was only to be outdone by the merriment of his smile. Well loved across the Go Community, Roy's physical presence will be greatly missed.
Born February 24th, 1916, in Los Angeles, Roy received much of his early education in Japan. This made him a Kibei Nisei. From 1921 to 1934 Roy attended Elementary and High School in Amagi (just outside of Fukuoka). In 1935 he returned to California to finish his High School career at Polytechnic High School. During the school year he would work as a house boy and during the summer picked produce in the Central Valley.
In 1939, Roy was married to Ayako Takazaki in an arranged marriage that would last almost 60 years.
From 1941 to 1945, Roy was interned at Tule Lake. There he learned to play Go and joined the Tule Lake Go Club. This Go club was well known for the strength of its Issei and Kibei Nisei Go players and Roy played with future US Go Champion Mr. Matsuda. His job in the internment camp was to cook rice in the mess halls. Every meal, Roy would cook 35 lbs of rice. He picked this job so that he could play Go between meal times.
From 1946 to 1950, Roy worked at Union Nursery.
In 1951, with two other partners, Roy started 3 Star Nursery, a small wholesale bedding plants grower which was responsible for introducing many bedding plants into America (impatiens). Some of their more well known customers included Santa Anna Race Track, South Coast Plaza, and Disneyland (specifically Micky Mouse's face at the entrance to Disneyland.) They also were the first to package vegetable starts to Californian nurseries. In 1966 3 Star Nursery sued and won against what is now known as Exxon Mobile for damages done to their property from environmental pollution. This was the first case won by a Japanese-American small business against a large corporation in California.
In 1952, Roy and Ayako adopted their daughter Connie.
In 1980, Roy wins the Los Angeles Rafu Kiin Go Tournament.
In 1987, Roy retires from 3 Star Nursery.
In 1998, Ayako passes away and Roy moves to University Place, Washington (near Tacoma) to live with his daughter Connie, her husband Dance, and Roy's granddaughter Masumi.
From 1998 to 2003, Roy was a regular attendee at the Seattle Go Center and was the oldest player at the 2002 Us Go Congress and the 2003 Canadian Go Congress. With a genuine smile and love of the game, Roy made friends across the spectrum in the Northwest Go Community. From Oregon to British Columbia he is loved and will be missed.
Roy's many interests included political history, Sumo and Japanese cooking.
Roy came to the Seattle Go Center shortly after I started working here. Much of the character and charm of the current Seattle Go community can be traced to the gracious example that he set for us all. Not only in his love of the game but the energetic smile with which he greeted everyone. Several years ago, I informed a fellow teacher of Go that the most important thing you can do when teaching people is to smile at them. I think Roy had this particular skill mastered.
Though successful in business, Roy never came across as a businessman. Always more concerned with sharing and nurturing, Roy afforded many of the Go players in the Tacoma area the opportunities to view and read many of the Go tapes and books that he had collected over the years. In addition to his weekly visits to the Go Center, he also met with the Tacoma Go Club members at their various meetings. Most prized among Roy's gifts to the Tacoma Go Community were the parties that he and his daughter would host.
I had the great fortune to spend some time with Roy in these past several months while he was in and out of the Tacoma General hospital. We both looked with much anticipation to the upcoming Kisei sen here in Seattle Washington. Yet we both realized that his desire might not be sufficient. With a wry joke and a smile our conversation would turn to upcoming trips or Sumo wrestling. Though his strength on the go ban never surpassed 3 dan, Roy's bearing was that of a 9 dan professional and I hope in my coming years I will be able to attain such an accomplishment.
Today the depth of our sorrow comes from the great pleasure bestowed upon us by Roy and we must smile at such thoughts as he would.