Nobuko Ussery was a dearly loved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was born July 18, 1936 in Pusan, Korea. Although she was of Japanese descent, her father was believed to be a Japanese military officer serving in Korea at the time she was born. She had three older brothers and one older sister who all lived in Japan. In 1945, Japan occupied Korea under hostile conditions and Nobuko suffered the loss of both her parents to war at the tender age of eight years old. Fortunately, her life was spared and neighbors helped her to escape to Japan where she found her eldest brother who raised her into young adulthood. In 1955, when she was 19 years old, she met and fell in love with a young sailor in the U.S. Navy, Lonnie. After a brief courtship, they married on August 27, 1956. Family was the most important part of life for her and she devoted herself to caring for her husband, children and grandchildren. Her love for children was boundless and extended beyond her family. She operated a family daycare for ten years and caring for and helping to raise many children gave her great joy. Nobuko battled with cancer for the last ten years of her life. She found strength from her family and in her spirituality. She never considered herself a victim, but instead always said to everyone that she met, "I am a survivor!" She held up the fight until shortly after her beloved husband passed away. With a broken heart, she felt that he was calling for her and only then did she choose to join him in the afterlife, passing away peacefully on June 28, 2010. She is survived by her son and daughters and their spouses, CDR U.S. Navy (retired) Darrell Ussery and Kathryn of Virginia; Diana and Ed Clavel of California and Denise and Jay Pate of Texas; her grandchildren and their families, Eddie and Pamela Clavel, Nic and Melissa Clavel, Loni Marie and Adrian Flores, and Christian Clavel of California, Tiffany Ussery, Kristopher and Jenny Ussery, and Sean Ussery of Virginia; and her great-granddaughter Berlin Clavel of California. A private family service will be held. Nobuko's family requests that memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society, the National Kidney Foundation, and the American Heart Association.