Los Gatos Death Notices: Cindy Booth, Maureen Raine, Thomas Sakamoto

Cindy Delynne Booth, a resident of Los Gatos, died peacefully at home on Oct. 12, 2013. She was 57. Cindy was born Oct. 27, 1955. With faith and determination, she courageously fought ovarian cancer for almost four years. She was born in Palo Alto, grew up in Los Altos, and graduated with a BA in music therapy from the University of the Pacific. Celebrating 36 years of wonderful marriage, she is survived by her husband Paul and their five children: Jennifer, Andrew, Daniel, Melissa and Emily, along with her mother, Juanita Bell, and brother Duane. All of whom, along with the extended family will miss her dearly. She is preceded in death by her father Don Sr. and her brother Don. Paul met Cindy through the Los Altos Baptist Church youth group and they were married Sept. 10, 1977. They moved to live in New Jersey for 10 years before moving back to California. Cindy was truly a woman of God who put others before herself through steadfast service. Providing her children with a foundation of faith in the Lord was her top priority. She wanted them to experience all they could in life and worked diligently to provide opportunities, whether on vacations, travel, field trips or concerts. Music was always a centerpiece in the family and all the kids were instilled with an appreciation and talent for music. She was an excellent pianist, taught her kids music and accompanied many musicians. Cindy took upon the task of homeschooling her kid's early education which fortunately provided more time to be together through her excellent teaching. Cindy introduced the family to Irish dancing, which took them on experiences across the States and to Europe. As her children became involved in drama, she volunteered her talents with the Christian Youth Theater. Cindy always wanted to be in the mountains amongst the country where she came to live, near the ocean she loved; particularly the lighthouses. She was the high school sweetheart, an awesome wife, and a devoted and faithful mother to her children. Words cannot begin to describe the sorrow of her passing. A memorial service and reception in her honor was held Sunday, Oct. 27 at Twin Lakes Church, 2701 Cabrillo College Drive in Aptos; www.tlc.org. In lieu of flowers, the family would ask instead for donations to: Twin Lakes Church, Monte Vista Performing Arts (MVCS-PAPA), or Christian Youth Theater (CYT-Santa Cruz) cytsantacruz.org.

Maureen Cheryl Raine, a resident of Los Gatos, passed away Friday, Oct. 18 after a valiant battle with cancer. She was 69. Maureen was born Feb. 20, 1944. She leaves behind a loving family and many great friends. A Rosary was held in her honor Friday evening, Oct. 25 at Darling Fischer Los Gatos. Her funeral services were held Saturday, Oct. 26 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Los Gatos.

Thomas T. Sakamoto, Colonel, U.S. Army, a resident of Los Gatos, died Oct. 18, 2013 at the age of 95. Tom was born in San Jose. His youthful life was centered around church, sports and community activities. In 1934, while in high school, Tom was sent to Japan for education. He returned to the United States four years later and was drafted into the U.S. Army. Because of his proficiency in Japanese, Tom was recruited into the secretly formed Military Intelligence Service (MIS). Just over a month before Pearl Harbor, Tom was enrolled in an elite first class of the Japanese Language School at Presidio of San Francisco, California. Upon graduation, because of his superior knowledge of Japanese, he became an instructor. However, eager for combat, he volunteered for duties with General MacArthur in Australia and met his first combat at Los Negros Island with Texas 1st Cavalry. The first prisoner Tom faced called him a traitor. But Tom's interrogation of the prisoner resulted in information that allowed his unit to repel a major attack. After taking part in General MacArthur's successful island hopping campaign, Tom stood proudly on the deck of the USS Missouri to witness Japan's surrender. Tom served this country gallantly and faithfully even though his parents and family were interned at Rohwer Relocation Center, Arkansas, for the duration of the war. After helping to democratize Japan, Tom fought in Korea and in Vietnam. In 1961, he interpreted for President Eisenhower during his visit to Okinawa. Achieving the rank of Colonel, Tom stated that proving loyalty to America on battlefields was his most significant accomplishment. After retiring from the U.S. Army, he served as Senior Vice President/ Manager of a Sumitomo Bank in Cupertino and San Jose, California.
Tom was preceded in death by his wife, Sadie; brothers George and Donald and sister Clara (Kenji Honda). He is survived by brothers Frank (Maryann), Jim (Kaz), and Paul. He is also survived by sister Bertha (Tom), sister in laws Mary and Aggie and nephews and nieces. A private funeral service was held on Oct. 25 at San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin. Tom's family wishes to thank the professionals at Palo Alto VA Hospital, Hospice of the Valley, The Terraces of Los Gatos, and NexGen Healthcare, Inc. for outstanding care Tom received. Instead of koden, Tom's family wishes donations be sent to the National Japanese American Historical Society,1684 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94115, for grand opening and maintenance of the MIS Historic Learning Center, Presidio, San Francisco, where Tom was the first student in 1941.

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