Tokiko Inoue Waters

GARNER - Tokiko Inoue Waters of Garner went to her heavenly home to be with the Lord on Thursday, October 22, 2020, after a brief battle with cancer. She passed away at home with her loving family by her side. Toko, as she was known by her friends, was born on January 26, 1947, to Gohei and Sumiyo Kodera Inoue in Kokura, Fukuoka, Japan. She married Jackie Edward Waters on June 15, 1969, in Japan, where Jackie was stationed while serving in the United States Air Force. In 1970, after moving to Garner, NC, they started their family and she remained in Garner until her passing. Many in the Garner community remember Toko as a teacher’s assistant at Vandora Springs Elementary School, where she worked for 27 years. Never one to sit still, Toko went to work part-time at NCSU after retiring from Vandora. She was a faithful member of the Japanese Baptist Church in Raleigh, where she loved to worship and fellowship with her brothers and sisters in Christ. She loved working with her hands, whether in her beautiful and expansive garden, or on various home improvement projects. She also loved traveling, hiking, working out at the Poole Family YMCA, and spending time with her family and many friends. Toko brought light and joy to all who knew her. She was never without a smile and was always willing and ready to share the hope she had in Christ with anyone she encountered. She did this in word and deed. Those left to cherish her memory are her husband of 51 years, Jackie; her daughter, Christina (Mike) of Garner; her son, Brian (Sayumi) of Onojo, Fukuoka, Japan; her sister-in-law Carolyn (Pat) of Raleigh; her niece, Kimberly (Dedrick) of Raleigh. She will be greatly missed by her loving grandchildren, Lincoln and Jamison Sawyer, and Seiji and Mei Waters. She is also survived by her older brother Tetsuo, her older sister Junko, her younger brother Kaname, and her younger sister Kiyoko. In addition to her parents, Toko was preceded in death by her parents-in-law William and Mary Waters, as well as her oldest brother Tomio. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home in Garner. Pastor Jun Mastuzaki and Carson Foushee will be officiating the bilingual service. COVID-19 restrictions require that masks be worn at all times in the chapel. Thank you for your consideration. In lieu of sending flowers, the family humbly requests that donations be made to Toko’s beloved church, Japanese Baptist Church Raleigh (https://fbcraleigh.org/grow/japanese/).