Hiroko Tokushima Kretz

Hiroko, 93, of Abilene, TX passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones, on Friday, January 30th, 2026.

Hiroko was born January 13, 1933 in Pusan, Korea. She grew up in Fukuoka, Japan in a loving family with her father, mother, and six siblings. In Fukuoka, she worked for the US army as a translator during the Korean War where she met and married John Mondragon in 1953. They moved to the mountains of northern New Mexico where she learned Spanish and became trilingual. Hiroko embraced her new family and raised her two children, Thomas and Tina Mondragon, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Family and friends regularly enjoyed her New Mexico style enchiladas (flat not rolled!) and her signature Japanese sukiyaki meals. A dedicated mother and wife, she also was an active Bible school teacher, presented community talks on Japanese culture, worked as an elementary school teacher’s aide, and received her Bachelors Degree in Art Education from the University of New Mexico.

In 1977, Hiroko bravely started a new chapter of her life in Los Angeles, California. She was a talented artist and taught art classes in LA before going on to work as a technical illustrator at the corporate headquarters of Hughes Aircraft and Toyota North America. She leaves behind many paintings and other artwork that we will continue to treasure. Hiroko married Robert Kretz in 1980. He passed away with lung cancer in 1989.

After the birth of her second grandchild, she retired and moved to Livermore, California, where she spent time with her grandchildren, Brian and Beth, and their parents. She was an active leader in the senior community. She led aerobics and dance classes and made sure everyone knew how to do the macarena. Whether she was moving away from Japan at a young age, taking trips around the country with her family, or taking a cruise with her friends in her 70s, she was always joyfully adventurous. She met John Waite on one of her adventures. He asked her to dance on a cruise, the QEII, and they spent the next twenty five years happily married. They enjoyed traveling, bowling, ballroom dancing, golfing, cooking and hosting their annual July 4th and New Year’s Eve parties in addition to regular get-togethers with their close circle of friends and neighbors. They both cared deeply for their families and traveled to Japan and England on a regular basis to stay connected despite the distance. Although she left Japan when she was very young, she remained close to her family her entire life and has helped all of us stay connected to our family in Japan to this day.

In the last season of John and Hiroko’s life together, they embraced change as they moved to Abilene, Texas to be near family in 2023. They moved into assisted living and enjoyed meeting new people and participating in activities. They loved live music and always had songs to request for The Piano Man on Tuesdays. Even after John passed, Hiroko was resilient and continued finding joy and happiness in her daily life.

In every season of life, she cultivated many friendships. Hiroko will be remembered for her spunky, fun spirit, and ability to make everyday moments special. She was very generous to everyone in her life including her family, friends, and workers at her favorite restaurants. She was faithful to the end and loved singing hymns with her family and fellow residents. We will miss her singing to us on our birthdays and Valentines Day. We will cherish our memories of traveling, playing the tile game, eating her homemade sushi, and enjoying special tempura and other Japanese meals together. We can easily say there will never be anyone quite like her. We are thankful for her life and her love so freely given to us all. Phone calls and visits with family often ended with her declaring, “Love you, love you, love you.”

We are grateful for all the care given to Hiroko in her last years at Chisholm Court. The community embraced Hiroko, providing numerous days of enjoyment. She greatly appreciated the care she received, as was heard in her cheerful “I Thank you!” The staff’s hard work, talent, teamwork, dedication, and genuine kindness blessed Hiroko and her family. We are also grateful for Dr. William Shudde, nurse Ruby, and the Hendrick Hospice staff for their excellent care.

Hiroko’s life will be celebrated by a small gathering of family in Abilene, TX. She is survived by her children Tina and Tim Johnston, Thomas Mondragon and David Evans, grandchildren Beth Johnston, Brian Johnston and Mary Caldwell, sister Mitsuko Kitahara, brother Keizo and Midori Tokushima, sister-in-law Keiko Tokushima, and numerous nephews, nieces, and great-nephews and great-nieces. She was preceded in death by her husband John Waite, parents Shizuko and Tamio Tokushima, sister Reiko Koide, brothers Masahito, Yoshihito, and Seiji Tokushima.