Mary Urashim Obituary, Death – As her close friend Kyoko Oda recalled, the late Mary Urashima began her campaign to protect a historic Japanese American hamlet in Huntington Beach by acting as a “lonely soldier with a giant flag.” This was the beginning of the campaign to preserve the hamlet. Mary Urashima has left behind a legacy that will endure even though she has since passed away. However, over the course of the last ten years.
Urashima has been working to build a coalition of supporters from southern California and further afield who recognize the significance of preserving the Wintersburg farm. These individuals come from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. Beginning in the early 1900s, this farm served as the primary residence for three generations of Japanese Americans, all of whom were employed there. By successfully lobbying to have Wintersburg recognized as eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, Urashima, who is an accomplished public speaker and possesses a warm and friendly demeanor, brought national attention to the site. He did this by bringing Wintersburg into the spotlight.
It was because of him that the location was brought to the notice of the entire country. She was successful in convincing city officials to back her plan to convert the land, which is currently owned by a waste management corporation, into a public park that could be used for a variety of purposes, including education and recreation. After a fire earlier this year destroyed many buildings on the property, Urashima’s efforts were increased to a higher level in order to make up for the loss.
Oda stated that “the support was starting to develop after the fire,” which is extremely unfortunate, but it did kind of wake people up. It’s a shame because the effort to put out the fire was just getting off the ground. The engine that was powering the campaign was taken out of the equation just as it was about to pick up speed. A number of Urashima’s friends and acquaintances claim that she lost her battle with cancer on Sunday evening while she was with her family by her side. According to his contemporaries and friends, Urashima was a humanist who actively advocated for fairness and civil rights in society.