Eulogy for Gail Jo ~Written by Kelly Bard

Gail Akiko Higa (Jo) was born on Sept. 13, 1935, at home, in Kualapuu, Molokai, Hawaii.  Diagnosed with terminal stage 4 pancreatic cancer in April of 2021, she passed away into the loving arms of her Savior on January 30, 2023, at the age of 87. 

Gail was the daughter of Japanese-Okinawan parents, Eizen & Tome Higa, and the sixth of nine children.  Living on a pineapple plantation, Gail, who was quite shy, was perfectly happy running around barefoot and unaware of her family’s poverty.  At six years of age, she remembers seeing Scofield Barracks billowing with smoke when the Japanese attacked Hawaii. 

World War II ended her Japanese language learning, as the school was shut down.  Post-war, the school reopened. When asked by her mother if she wanted to continue, Gail refused going back to Japanese school.  As an adult, she regretted not having learned more, as her parents spoke Japanese and Okinawan, scattered with Hawaiian pidgin and limited English.  She could speak some Japanese as well, but mixed with pidgin and English. 

As a teen, Gail attended Olivet Baptist church services after being invited by a friend, even though her family was Buddhist.  At 16 years old, she decided to follow Jesus and be baptized.  Gail met her future husband, Wilfred, through church.  Wilfred started attending church to meet a nice girl he could marry and first set eyes on Gail while she was singing in the church choir.  Gail and Wilfred were married in Honolulu, Hawaii on Oct. 29, 1955.  Believing it was God’s will for them to live on the mainland, they moved to Los Angeles, California in 1956. God blessed Gail and Wilfred with four daughters to love and raise: Laureen, Monica, Kelly, and Jenny. Wilfred was a journeyman plumber and found that living and working in southern California became increasingly difficult, so in 1965 the family moved to Oregon.

While raising their children, Gail and Wilfred helped establish and support two new churches, Gardenia Torrance Southern Baptist Church in California and later, Oregon City Baptist Chapel. Gail taught Sunday school, helped with the nursery, and hosted many church gatherings in their home, while Wilfred was a song leader and deacon in the church.  She was always reaching out to help those in need, visiting elderly church members.  After serving faithfully for many years at Oregon City Baptist Chapel, they attended Portland Foursquare Church and then Sunnyside Foursquare Church in Clackamas, Oregon. 

      Always wanting the best opportunities for her daughters, Gail learned by asking other mothers what they did for their children.  This resulted in years of providing her daughters with music and dance lessons, attending many sports events and concerts and taking advantage of every opportunity to “be there” for them. 

     Besides the adventures of loving and supporting her four daughters and their families, Gail managed the family finances and served as bookkeeper for Wilfred’s business, 1st Street Plumbing Shop.  Later, she became Wilfred’s plumbing assistant on many construction sites, cutting pipes and finishing bathrooms.  To support Wilfred’s love of fishing, she accompanied him on his boat on the Willamette, Clackamas, and Columbia rivers, and to her chagrin, helped him clean the fish.

     Gail enjoyed hosting numerous family gatherings at the Jo homestead, babysitting and playing with grandkids, and traveling often to visit and help her daughters and their families.  Her grandchildren reaped the benefit of her support and presence throughout their growing up years as she attended their sports and important events.  Lovingly known as “Nana,” Gail frequently had grandchildren come stay at the Jo homestead and enjoy the yard, garden, and farm animals. 

     Wilfred was diagnosed with asbestosis in 2000, and passed away in 2005, widowing Gail just a few months short of their 50th wedding anniversary. Relieved that Wilfred was no longer suffering, she pragmatically carried on with her life, continuing to love and serve those around her. 

     Spreading joy and giving help wherever she could, Gail attended church, classes, and week-day Bible studies.  She frequently gathered friends into her home after church services for movies, Bible studies, and spiritual fellowship.  Gail had a knack for welcoming and befriending those at church who were sitting alone.  These ladies became fast friends with her. 

     Gail loved spending time in her yard, her “heaven on earth,” mowing the grass with the riding lawn mower, pulling weeds, and gardening.  On a typical summer day, she was out in the yard wearing her wide-brimmed hat and plugging away at various yard tasks.  She also loved to have a clean kitchen and affectionately earned the nickname, “The Mad Washer.” 

     In her golden years, Gail started writing poems as reflections on her life with God.  Making hand-made cards also became a favorite hobby.  Each card was unique and always including “dots” on the front and this special message on the back:   

       “Each dot represents God’s blessings to you.  You have more than I dare put on this card.  My challenge—add just one more.  My dots, by Gail.”

     Gail enjoyed giving these heart-felt and handmade cards to many people, often including her unique poems.  Loving this ministry of encouragement, she asked Sunnyside Church, her home church of many years, if she could send cards to people who were going through hard times, on behalf of the staff and pastors.  They gladly said, “Yes!”

     Gail’s always cheery, welcoming, helpful, hard-working, and loving spirit drew many into her circle of admirers, friends, and family.

     Defying all estimates of how long she’d live with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Gail definitely saw each phase of her journey as a positive step towards heaven.  Although a bit impatient to leave this earth, she was glad for the time God gave her to spend more intentional time with family and friends.  She continued sending her homemade cards of encouragement, worked in the yard, and helped and served her family until she couldn’t.  With each step-down of physical ability, she accepted it with grace.  Though hard for her to be on the receiving end, she always expressed her thanks to everyone who helped her. She never lost her humor.  When asked by her daughter, Laureen, how she was doing a few weeks before she passed, she responded with, “Perfect!”  When the family was singing, “I’ll Fly Away” together, she said it would be easier for her to fly now since she had lost so much weight. Though she was housed in a tiny and feisty "earth suit," she leaves a large and loving footprint in the hearts and lives of those who knew her.

     Gail was preceded in death by her husband, Wilfred; seven siblings (Eugene, Yoshiko, Jack, Mitsuo, Elizabeth, George, and May); and one great-granddaughter (Maya).

      Gail is survived by her sister, Toshiko; daughters Laureen, Monica, Kelly, Jenny and their spouses; eight grandchildren (Jason, Marina and their spouses, Josiah, Steffan, Nick, Alison, Lydia, and John); and five great-grandchildren (Chase, Kireina, Chance, Roman, and Mika).