Obituary of Makoto Sawai

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Makoto Sawai, in Fredericton, on October 23, 2024. Born in Yokohama, Japan, on July 20, 1937, he was the son of Fumio and Kaoru Sawai.  He will be greatly missed by his two daughters, Yoko (Hugo) and Hiroko (Steve); grandchildren Alana, Emma, Justin and Maxime, and brother, Hiroshi (Yoshiko).  He is predeceased by his wife, Noriko.

Makoto was through and through a mechanical engineer, amusing himself as a child by taking apart his parents’ clocks and putting them back together (or not) for fun. All kinds of motors fascinated him: trains, planes, as well as their schedules. He began his career as an engineer in Japan, with the  Hitachi Company. He immigrated to Canada in 1975, young family in tow, where he put in 27 more years as a senior design engineer at NB Power. Quirky, mischievous, always full of numbers in his head, he was somewhat of a mystery to many. What was clear was his kindness and gentleness, impeccable respect and politeness. He was inspiring in his integrity, sense of honour, responsibility, loyalty and discipline; a champion of “gaman”, the Japanese trait of bearing all things stoically, elegantly and without complaining. He will be remembered as a sharp scrabble player, as well for his epic (uphill) bike riding skills, his long meditative walks in the woods, and his love for animals.

The family would like to thank the many people at Shannex Thomas Hall for the compassionate and expert care Makoto received over the past four years. He was surrounded by kindness and gentleness, allowing him to live his last days with dignity. Thank you.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 2:00 pm at Skyline Acres United Baptist Church, Fredericton, followed by a reception. Interment will take place in Forest Hill Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins sans Frontières.