Takeo Nishioka

Takeo Nishioka passed away peacefully at his home from complications stemming from Parkinson’s Disease, with which he had been battling for over 20 years.

Born in Japan, on the northern island of Hokkaido, he grew up as the youngest in a dairy farming family. His father died when he was three, leaving his mom to raise four children as well as run the farm on her own. With the help of the farm horse, many local in-laws and her children, she kept the farm a viable business; it continues within the family to this day. 

Takeo remembered that when he was a small child, he and his mother entered a bookstore in their small town and he asked his mother for a book. She told him that books were expensive and they didn’t have money for books; as an adult, he made up for that denial tenfold by amassing an extensive personal library.

Their farm, on which Takeo was born and raised, was about 3 miles from a small town. An American missionary visited a couple times a month. Takeo and his next oldest brother started attending there. Though his family, like all families in the area at the time, followed Buddhist and Shinto religious practices, his mother and relatives were agreeable to the boys’ studying the Bible and joining the Mennonite church. 

Takeo’s eldest brother inherited the family farm and became a full-time dairy farmer.  His sister married into the town’s only construction company’s family. His other brother worked for the construction company as a project manager.  

As the youngest child, he was afforded the luxury of education, graduating first from a high school in Obihiro 60 miles from home, then traveling 900 miles away to Chuo University in Tokyo. Takeo earned his Bachelor of Arts and then went on to pursue religious studies. During this time, he became acquainted with Quakers through Tokyo Meeting Friends Center’s Bible study in English. Two years into his three year seminary program, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Japan Committee offered Takeo a full scholarship to Pendle Hill, a Quaker study and retreat center outside of Philadelphia. There he met many influential Quaker thinkers, and was given a scholarship to the brand new Earlham School of Religion that shared a campus with Earlham College, in Richmond, Indiana. Early into his first few months there, in the school’s dining hall, he met his future wife, Linda Andrews, who was attending as a freshman.  

Prior to departing Japan for the United States, Takeo was asked to take over as Quaker pastor at the Tsuchiura Monthly Meeting, 40 miles north of Tokyo, once he finished studies in the United States. His offer was extended to accommodate his travel to Pendle Hill, then again for his studies at Earlham. After several years and extensions, Takeo felt it was time to begin his commitment at Tsuchiura and so he returned to Japan. A year later, Linda followed and they married at the Meeting in December 1964.

The Tsuchiura Monthly Meeting wanted him to be a full time, paid pastor of the Meeting.  Takeo disagreed with the meeting because he strongly held to the Quaker tenet that all are called to be ministers to one another and that no one should be paid to be a minister.  He felt that he could be more effective in outreach and the opportunity of following George Fox’s (founder of Quakerism) instruction of “let your life speak” if he served as a public school middle school teacher, which he did for six years.  During these years, he and his wife’s home welcomed frequent middle school visitors and on Sunday mornings he had large classes of students for Bible study. 

Takeo started his work life in the United States in the Friends Meeting of Washington office.  Soon after he switched to working at the Library of Congress in the Far Eastern Law division.  He delighted in the work, his coworkers, helping many researchers and hosting visitors.

An avid reader of books, Takeo served as a legal analyst at the Library of Congress for 35 years, a position that generated much interaction with Japanese academics, researchers, and American policymakers seeking his assistance on Japanese law resources.

An active member at Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting since 1969, Takeo served on many committees over 45 years. He led Bible study at Sandy Spring Friends Meeting for many years, and was an avid supporter of the Meeting’s annual used book sale! In addition, he led Bible study at the Japanese Christian Fellowship group, which met at the Friends Meeting of Washington for many years and subsequently moved to other locations over the years, most recently at Woodside Methodist Church in Silver Spring.

Takeo lived with Parkinson’s Disease since 2000, with much help from the Parkinson’s Foundation of the National Capital Area (PFNCA), his personal trainer, loving caregivers, family and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name can be sent to the PFNCA, Japanese Americans’ Care Fund or the American Friends Service Committee. 

Friends interested in the Quaker Memorial Service which will be held in the Spring of 2023 are asked to please contact the family.

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