Toshiko Ishikawa Hilliker

Toshiko Ishikawa Hilliker was born in Hiroshima, Japan on December 15, 1932 to the late Takefusa Ishikawa and Yasuko Ishikawa. She was the beloved granddaughter of Hisao Ishikawa, who owned a newspaper company in Hiroshima. She was raised by her grandfather until he was killed along with most of her family and classmates in the Hiroshima bombing on August 6, 1945. After Hiroshima Toshiko moved to Tokyo and lived with her father and her beloved step mother, Miyako Okazaki. She met her husband, David Hilliker when he was in the Air Force and stationed in Japan. Toshiko and David married and moved to the United States in 1959, where shortly she became an American citizen. She was hired by New England Instruments, Inc. for quality control and worked on electronic circuit boards used for the first manned mission to the moon. Along with her loving husband she leaves behind her beloved daughter Kathleen Lisa (Hilliker) Burkinshaw, son-in-law Matthew Burkinshaw, and her beloved grand daughter, Sara Miyako Burkinshaw, all of Charlotte, NC. As well as many family and friends from New England, Japan, and friends recently made in North Carolina. In lieu of flowers, Toshiko asked that memorials may be made to the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association, P.O. Box 502, 99 Cherry Street, Milford, CT 06460. Her daughter, Kathleen has been living with RSDS for the past 14 years. The family would like to thank the Hospice Care and Palliative Services of Charlotte. Although she was only with the hospice team for a few days and at the Levine and Dickson Hospice House for only a few hours, the staff were all such wonderful, caring people to her and the family. She also had some wonderful physicians, nurses, and CNAs during her inpatient stays at Novant Huntersville. Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home and Cremation Services is assisting the family. Friends may offer condolences to the family at www.raymerfh.com.