Yasumi C. Taylor

Yasumi Chino Taylor, beloved spouse of Thomas E. Taylor of Eau Claire, mother of Teresa A. Lien of Baraboo, WI and Diane I. Wolfe of Eau Claire, passed from this life on August 6, 2022 at Mayo Clinic Health Systems Hospital in Eau Claire. She was 89 years old.

Yasumi was born on May 13, 1933 in a small town in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Her mother died of cancer when she was but 1 1/2 years of age. The family, consisting then of her father Katsuichi Chino, sisters Hidemi, Kiyomi, and Motomi (all now deceased) later moved to the large city of Nagoya. There as a young girl Yasumi witnessed the destruction of her home and most of the city during the late WW2 fire bombings.

The family returned to the rural Kiso area for more protection. There Yasumi attended high school and after the war began college at Shinshu University to learn to teach mathematics. Upon learning that her teaching assignment was to be in a town even smaller than her home town however, she dropped out of college and moved back to the mostly rebuilt Nagoya where she worked for an insurance company.

She married an American serviceman and moved to Racine WI where she had her two children. Later divorcing, she relocated to Milwaukee where, determined to make her own way, she again worked for insurance companies as well as additional part-time jobs to support her wonderful children. In 1973 Yasumi married Tom Taylor and the blended family then moved to a house in Shorewood where they lived for over 20 years. Upon retirement they moved to Lewisburg, WV to experience a new area and where Yasumi advanced her successful art career.

Upon her daughter's family move to Eau Claire, Yasumi and Tom moved there also and have been here since 2005. Here they took up golf and Yasumi participated in the Pine Meadow Monday ladies league for several years. Yasumi and Tom also played in the Tuesday couples league at Hickory Hills.

In 2020 Yasumi was struck by cancer which ran in the women of her Japanese family owing to a gene mutation. She struggled valiantly for several years aided by the Cancer Center at Mayo. But on Saturday the battle was lost when cancer had invaded her lungs and her breathing ceased, with family at her bedside.

Yasumi loved and was loved by not only our family, but by so many friends whose lives she touched. She was known for being unfailingly happy, cheerful and encouraging to all. Her death has been a terrible shock to many.

Yasumi is survived by husband Tom, daughters Teresa (Steve) and Diane (Eric), granddaughters Sydney Willson and Natalie and Mikaela Lien, grandsons Zachary and Grant Wolfe and Ethan Lien. Yasumi had hoped to be here to welcome her first great grandson to be born in November, courtesy of Sydney and Blake Willson. She also had two nieces in Japan, and a grand nephew, Dr. Tomohiro Tanaka of Iowa City, Iowa and his wife Masumi, and their charming children Saho and Haru.

There will be no public events. Donations suggested to Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, and Jacob's Well church. Friends and family may offer condolences online at www.hulkefamiyfh.com. Hulke Family Funeral Home in Eau Claire assisted the family with the arrangements.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.