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Grace Ebihara Akiyama ’50

Grace Ebihara Akiyama ’50, of lymphoma, August 24, 1996, in Seattle. Born and raised in Portland, Grace and her family were sent to a relocation camp in Idaho during World War II. She studied at Ohio Wesleyan University before entering Reed. In 1952 she married Henry Akiyama ’53. In 1961 the couple moved to Juneau, Alaska, where they settled and raised two children. In Juneau she became an active volunteer with medical and community service groups. She was president for four years of the Alaska Lung Association and served three years as Alaska’s representative on the National American Lung Association board. She was president of Alaska Women’s Auxiliary to the American Medical Association in 1970–71, president of the Friends of the Alaska State Museum, and she served for many years on the Salvation Army board of directors. She was an elder of the Northern Light United Church in Juneau. She also worked in Henry’s private medical practice as his assistant business manager. She is survived by Henry; a son, Alan K. Akiyama ’82; a daughter; and a sister, May Ebihara Gelfand ’55.

Appeared in Reed magazine: February 1997

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