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Hirochika Komai Obituary

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Hirochika Komai

Madison, WI

August 8, 2020

Hirochika Komai Obituary

Hirochika Komai, of Madison, age 82, died on August 8th, 2020, at home shortly after a diagnosis of stomach cancer. He was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1938 and his childhood was shaped by the experience of living in the bombed-out city and especially the food of post-war Japan (boiled powdered milk and caramels made from carrot sugar). His father taught archaeology at Tokyo University and taught him not to judge without reasonable cause, and not to waste a grain of rice. His mother was skilled in Japanese paper collage and taught him the importance of creating something original by hand, and how to sew on a button. A graduate of Tohoku University in Sendai, he came to the United States in 1962 to study, receiving his PhD in biochemistry from the University of California-Berkeley in 1968. He conducted research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. From 1972 to 2006, he was a research scientist for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, first at the Institute for Enzyme Research and then in the Department of Anesthesiology. Hirochika made little distinction between work and play, considering his work in the laboratory to be playing, just with more expensive toys, and approaching the family kitchen like a lab when it came to baking. He was known for his dedication to his interests: fishing in an aluminum canoe in the baking Tennessee heat, practicing his tennis serve in the Wisconsin snow, and baking numerous cakes until he reached perfection. Through his nature photography ("not ordinary"), he enjoyed the interplay of rocks and water. For over 20 years he took a series of photos at Picnic Point and Baxter’s Hollow in the Baraboo Hills, exhibiting his photos in several spaces around Madison. He was known among family and friends for his delicious French meals and desserts. Interest in French cooking led to broader interest in the French language, French culture and a number of trips to France and French Canada. He is survived by his wife, Lois (Van Hoff), two daughters, Laura Tomoko Komai and Sachi Rebecca Komai (Tom Moriearty) and one granddaughter Lily Amaya Moriearty. Donations can be made in memory of Hirochika to The Nature Conservancy-Wisconsin and in the memo line indicate Baraboo Hills.

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Events

Event information can be found on the Official Obituary of Hirochika Komai.