Tomiko Chamra, a newly minted 76 year old, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family & friends & love & laughter, at her home in Shannon, NC on October 24, 2015.

She made her entrance into this world on October 14, 1939 in Charanka, Saipan Island as the fourth daughter & the fifth child of Tokukin and Yoshi Arakaki and then proceeded to blaze her own trail, populated with a golden romance, promising children, spoiled grandchildren, lifelong friendships, a green thumb, well-worn bowling shoes, one gnarly dachshund, and a lifetime of adventure. One of twelve children, Tomiko learned early on that it paid to be tenacious & independent traits that served her well as she left everything that she knew & loved in Okinawa to begin a wonderful, new adventure in the United States with Richard, her husband of 50 years. She arrived in the US only knowing her husband & a bit of the English language but soon blossomed into a mother of three learning English with her children, while running a home as her husband served his country in the US Army Special Forces for over 30 years.

When she wasnt busy managing Chamra Enterprises, Tomiko found time to don her dancing shoes & her grilling apron for the Fayetteville Kenjin Kai, an organization dedicated to the preservation of Okinawan customs & traditions. Every year, she could be found dancing in the Okinawan New Years Celebration; working the hibachi at the Fayetteville International Festival; or making Okinawan delicacies for one event or another. Her egg rolls, which are now legend, will be greatly missed.

Beyond being a loving wife, wonderful mother, and spoiling Oba (grandmother), Tomiko was a shero she + hero. Fighting a battle with cancer since 2014, Tomiko never wavered in her love, bravery, and sheer zest for life. She was determined to live a life without regret & to live it to the fullest her diagnosis would NOT define her. Her attitude was contagious & she has positively affected so many over the last year. She will not be forgotten.

Tomiko is survived by her husband, Richard, of Shannon, NC; her daughters - Diana Hood of Fayetteville, NC & Debra Chamra (Nick Abruzzo) of Chicago, IL; her son, Robert Chamra of Shannon, NC; and her grandchildren Jade, Francesca, Anthony, and Isabella.

A committal service will be held at the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery at 400 Murchison Road; Spring Lake, NC 28390 on Monday, November 2, 2015 at noon. A Celebration of Life ceremony will follow at the 82nd Airborne Division Association at 606 Johnson Street; Fayetteville, NC 28303 at 1:00 pm.

Flowers should be sent to the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery. Donations can be made to the Duke Cancer Fund Duke Cancer Institute; 710 West Main Street; Suite 200; Durham, NC 27701. Condolences may be left on Tomiko Chamras online guest book at www.jerniganwarren.com.