RIVERSIDE — Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) regretfully shared the news that his mother, Nancy Takano, passed away on Oct. 23 at the age of 80.
She is survived by her husband, William Takano, her four children, numerous grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
A survivor of the Japanese American internment during World War II, a former staff member at John W. North High School of the Riverside Unified School District, a successful insurance agent for New York Life, and later, owner of Designer Hand Knits in Riverside, Nancy Takano inspired everyone who knew her with her kindness, wit, and intelligence.
She was a pillar of the Japanese American community in the Inland Empire, and worked tirelessly for causes she believed in, including the restoration of the Harada House, a National Historic Landmark in Riverside.
The family requests privacy in this time of mourning.