Toshiro Kitamura

March 2, 1951 – April 19, 2025

Toshiro Kitamura passed away on April 19, 2025 in Portland, Oregon, after a long illness, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Elizabeth McDougall Kitamura, their son, Richard Kitamura (Portland), and their daughter, Ande Kitamura (Portland).

Toshiro was born on March 2, 1951 in Hamamatsu, Japan to Kaoru and Sayoko (Nakamura) Kitamura. He was a skilled athlete. He trained in karate (Shotoukan) , achieving kuro obi. The skills he developed in his karate training; strength, self-discipline, and focus, translated well to his success as an alpinist. In 1978, as a lead climber, he joined the Shizuoka Tohan Club on a successful climb of The Ogre (Baintha Brakk) in the Karakorum Range of the Himalaya.

After he married, he hung up his ice axe, crampons, and ropes to start a family. He was a loving, attentive, and involved father. Toshiro taught his children curiosity and gave them confidence in problem solving through his pride and care in his work as a skilled craftsman. He often pulled his children into home or car repairs to teach them useful skills. There was never a teaching moment lost in the Kitamura household.

He had a good sense of humor and developed a plethora of “dad jokes” which he used constantly. Toshiro was sharp on word plays and often drew a smile from the person with whom he was conversing. Some of his favorite pastimes were hiking, mushroom hunting, crabbing, clamming, fishing and of course, eating and sharing the fruits of his labor! One of his favorite ways to show his love was to cook comforting, delicious, Japanese meals for his family.

Toshiro was deeply loved and he is deeply missed. Services were held with immediate family at Omega Funeral and Cremation in Portland, OR.