Obituary for Doreen Shimizu

SHIMIZU, DOREEN (53) peacefully passed away on April 14,2009 in Torrance. She is survived by her mother, Nancy Watanabe; father, Ko Shimizu; siblings, Chris Shimizu, JoAnn Wood, Joey (Sandy) Watanabe; nieces and nephew, Danika, Dylan, and Daryn Wood also survived by many other relatives.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 10:00AM at Gardena Valley Baptist Church, 1630 W. 158th St., Gardena, CA.

Note: Flower orders for Doreen Shimizu must have been made at least 48 hours before the service time.

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Condolences and best wishes

Jennie Smith April 17, 2009, 3:14 PM	In the Girl Scout world, Doreen was one of the very best. She did everything possible to perpetuate scouting and its values. I know how disappointed she was when her doctor said “no more trips to Skyland”. Her patience in making volumes of “swaps” amazed me. ’So small and detailed. I learned to like cucumbers because of Doreen’s preparation of them for Skyland work parties. A diligent trainer and volunteer. She did it all. Jennie Smith

RoxAnn April 17, 2009, 3:18 PM	so sorry to hear of Doreen’s passing. She was a trainer in girl scouts with me. She will be missed by the girls and leaders she came in contact with. Sincerely, RoxAnn Batovsky

Shannon Johnston April 17, 2009, 3:29 PM	I am sadden hearing of Doreen’s passing. I have known her as a Girl Scout sister for many years. She will be missed. With my condolences, Shannon Johnston

Patty Conn April 17, 2009, 3:33 PM	I didn’t know Doreen well, but I appreciated her help and enjoyed her singing and swaps at our Girl Scout troop camper classes for many years. She was a joy to work with, and she will be missed. Patty Conn

Terri McGuire April 17, 2009, 3:33 PM	Doreen always had a wonderful smile on her face & was truely excited about putting on Trainings her at Council. She will surely be missed by all. Terri McGuire

Roy & Belinda Frazier April 17, 2009, 3:35 PM	As we stand amoung the Big Pines here at Skyland Ranch, we hear a bird singing. So sweet the sound, we know there is peace in the world today. We rejoyce her life in the sound, and the words are in our hearts. It’s a great lost to us, as we will not hear her song. But the deep memory will carry us for a life time in scouting. Bless her family and all her friends today, may God be with you all. Best Wishes Ranger Roy & Belinda Frazier Skyland Ranch

Margaret Tollner April 17, 2009, 5:19 PM	Doreen was a trooper and always worked it out that she could be at any Girl Scout event regardless if she had to bring her oxygen. Jennie is right that Dorreen knew how to crank out beautiful small origami for swaps at any Girl Scout event. Her friendship and humor will be missed.

Vicky Hommerding April 17, 2009, 6:02 PM	Doreen - one of the truest Girl Scouts I have had the pleasure to know. She was always friendly and so helpful to me. The “girl” in Girl Scouts was her focus whenever we discussed an event or activity. I am sure God and his heavens are Girl Scout Green with her there. My sympathy to her family... Vicky Hommerding

Martha Cordero April 17, 2009, 7:05 PM	I will miss Doreen, her quiet strength and smiling presence. She rocked! I loved the way she gave her all and made you feel welcomed. Day is done, gone the sun, From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. with love Martha Cordero

Linda Lamb April 17, 2009, 7:58 PM	Doreen was a true Girl Scout in that you only had to meet her once to know that she was immediately your ’sister’. Her values and dedication to Girl Scouts will be missed, but she can truly say that she helped to make the world a better place.

Pamela Stubbs April 17, 2009, 8:02 PM	I first met Doreen at a SoCal Girl Scout Songshare where she welcomed me with open arms then and every yr. thereafter. Doreen was always one of the friendliest and most upbeat people I ever met, in spite of her health problems. Her empty chair at Songshare will be small in comparison to the hole left in our hearts by her passing. My prayers and sympathies to her family. Pam Stubbs

Shamci Stanton April 17, 2009, 9:05 PM	I was so sorry to hear of Doreen’s passing. She was a true Girl Scout, always ready to help make things fun for the girls and keep the traditions alive. I remember her at the volunteer retreats as well with her love of singing and swaps. She will be greatly missed. Shamci “Sunshine” Stanton

Sara Robins-Stiles April 17, 2009, 9:07 PM	What a pleasure to have known Doreen. She was a true Girl Scout. She will be missed. I spend many a weekend camping and singing with Doreen

Robyn April 17, 2009, 9:30 PM	I met Doreen at SongShare and from my very first year there she always made me feel welcome. I will miss her smile, her swaps, and I will miss knowing she is there with us, sharing in the joy of singing together. She will be missed by everyone and remembered with a song and a smile. My thoughts and sympathy to her family. Robyn Manzini

Kellie Green April 18, 2009, 8:42 AM	Doreen will be missed here on earth. But our Girl Scout angels above will now have a new angel to help lead in song.

Twyla Ackerman April 18, 2009, 9:10 AM	Doreen you were the best. Always willing to help and a friend to all you met. Twyla Ackerman

Lissa Alfred April 19, 2009, 8:24 PM	Doreen was one of the friendliest people at Songshare and has truly blessed all of us. Those of us who were unable to attend her service this weekend because we were singing to a new generation of Girl Scouts shared our love of music with all present and movingly dedicated and sang some of Doreen’s favorite songs. I think many of us heard her singing a quiet harmony in the background! Flicker -

Kimberly Prager April 20, 2009, 9:37 AM	My name is Kimberly Prager. I’ve been a Girl Scout with Greater Long Beach Girl Scout Council since 1983 when I was a first grade Brownie. I was in my initial troop for first through sixth grade, at which point it disbanded because all the other girls wanted to do “cooler” junior high things. I still wanted to be a Girl Scout. Since I didn’t really have a troop at first, my parents signed me up for Program Aide training since this was one of the requirements for working toward the Cadette Silver Award. This is when I met Doreen. After completing my training, I did several different Brownie events as a volunteer and the program aides would be in charge, at some point, of teaching songs. I was appalled to find that the Cadettes and Seniors (at that time) only new three songs: Baby Bumblebee, I’ll build a bungalow big enough for two, and Waddily-acha. So, we’d just sing the same three songs over and over again. I had been to girl scout Camp Joe Scherman all my life and, as such, had learned MANY MANY SONGS. (If any of you have ever seen my song book, you would know this to be true.) At one junior overnight at el ranchito, I had finally had it up to hear with waddily acha and I asked Doreen, who was in charge of us at this particular event, if we were ever allowed to sing any other songs or if we were limited to those three. She laughed at me and told me that I could teach any song I wanted. So me, being the very shy seventh grader that I was, went up in front of about 100 junior girl scouts and taught them two songs: Black Socks (they never get dirty), and my personal favorite, three Chartreuse Buzzards. To my shock and surprise, Doreen actually knew these songs! She even came up and helped me teach them. From that camping weekend on, Black Socks was a favorite among the girls in Greater Long Beach because you would hear it continuously at El Ranchito. At another event not long after, Doreen put me and herself in charge of the campfire where we came up with a whole list of songs that we both knew and were able to teach together. By this time, I had joined a troop and had really cool leaders who were active in girl scouting so between my experiences with the program aide events I worked and my experiences in my troop, I was a happy Girl Scout. Then, my family and I happened upon the coolest event ever. In 1988, my family and I, little brother included, attended our first Skyland Ranch work weekend. Here, I met people whose company I really enjoyed, the Warner family, Julie McAdam, and of course, Doreen. My little brother was not so keen on raking and pulling weeds and such cuz of his allergies. Doreen volunteered to take him in the kitchen and he could be her assistant cook. He absolutely loved that. We attended all work parties from 1988 to at least 1995 when I graduated and Doreen was always the cook and my brother, her assistant. In the evenings, we would share time with Doreen around the campfire where she always surprised me with the songs she knew. I remember saying, that’s a song from Scherman! That’s Orange County’s song! I know she also bonded with my little brother, Jonathan, through the years in the kitchen at Skyland Work Parties. He ended up taking all she taught him in the kitchen and bringing it with him to Camp Tahquitz (the boy scout camp) where he was a cook for several years. And, I have to say, she got him the coolest graduation gift I’ve ever seen -- a cook book and an apron, wrapped with a bunch of ribbons, and a yellow squash, zuchini, and a few other vegetables, made up the bow. She once told us, “Never ring out tea bags when you are making sun tea. That is the most important thing I will ever teach you.” And I know, to this day, I don’t ring out tea bags when I pull them out. Cuz Doreen said. Needless to say, Doreen definitely had an impact on my life and on my brother’s life. I haven’t seen her for a couple years in that I live in Minnesota now, but the last time I saw her was at a volunteer retreat a couple years ago, and once again, just like old times, we got to share songs around the campfire.

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