Obituary of Masako Karrasch

Karrasch, Masako

On May 4, 2022 Masako passed away after a short but difficult battle with cancer. She was in her 77th year.  Masako was born in Japan in 1945. Her mother was an aristocratic beauty, and her father was a station master for the Japanese National Railway.

In the 1960’s Masako was studying English and math at Kagawa University. Her sister had placed advertisements in English newspapers across the globe for penpals. The response was plentiful, so she gave one letter to Masako, a German immigrant in Canada practicing his English skills. In 1964 her penpal, Hugo Karrasch travelled to Japan, seeking marriage permission from Masako’s father. They married in a Roman Catholic Church, and moved to Canada.

Masako and Hugo proudly raised two children in London, Ontario. Masako enjoyed gardening, tennis, sewing, and oil painting. Her favourite passion was ballroom dancing, winning competitions across Ontario throughout the 1970’s.

In Masako’s later years she became paraplegic but stayed active in seated yoga and wheelchair tennis through Parkwood Hospital’s outpatient therapy. Hugo and Masako were always together, until he died in December 2020.

Masako is survived by her son Hubert, daughter Mika, and son in-law Kevin Flynn. Her greatest joys were her grandchildren: Seiko, Sheena, Benjamin, Keeana, and Hayden. She will be missed by her closest friends and family, especially Tony and Marlene Loedige.  

Visitors will be received at John T.  Donohue Funeral Home, 362 Waterloo Street at King Street, on Monday, May 9, 2022  from 10:30 until the time of the funeral service at 12:00 o’clock.  Interment in St Peter’s Cemetery. Friends are welcome to donate to the LHSF palliative care unit in memory of Masako Karrasch. 

To donate to the LHSF Palliative Care Unit, please Click Here