Kensuke Mizumoto

Kensuke “Ken” Mizumoto, 63 of West Hills, CA, passed away at his home July 8, 2022, due to complications related to ALS. Ken was born June 10, 1959 in Osaka, Japan. He was the eldest of three children born to Tadao (“Paul”) and Megumi (“Grace”) Mizumoto. At the age of three, Ken’s parents moved to Bangkok, Thailand, where his brother Shoji was born. They then relocated to the United States, settling in Honolulu, HI in 1968, where their sister Naomi was born. The family moved again to San Mateo, California when Ken was 15-years-old, and on to Darien, Connecticut, when he was 17-years-old.

An excellent student, Ken became enthused about playing violin in Darien’s high school orchestra. Upon graduating, Ken was unsure of whether to pursue a career in music or to put his mechanical abilities to use. His interest in electronics led him to work with Sony USA in New York, before pivoting back to music. Ken entered college and majored in violin, and his studies took him around the country. He studied in New York, then Toronto, Banff, Indiana, and finally California, where his family settled in 1983. Ken earned a Bachelor of Music at CSUN, where his prodigious talent led him to be awarded the highest title of concert master for the CSUN Orchestra. He then earned a Master of Music at the University of Oregon, where he played with the Eugene Symphony, and was again promoted to concert master. Ken was a superb violinist, playing and perfecting his craft throughout his life. Though he transitioned away from playing professionally for practical reasons, Ken continued to play in community orchestras, garnering the achievement of playing with numerous symphonies throughout his lifetime.

At the age of 27, Ken met Leila Nizam at a single’s concert and the two fell in love. Not deterred by their 15-year age gap, nor her status as a divorcee with two small children, Ken proved a loving and committed life-partner to Leila. A talented pianist herself, they shared a passion for music and played in numerous concerts together. After eight years of love, Ken and Leila were married on July 17, 1994 in Irvine, CA. Ken was a loving father to Leila’s two children, Loren and Mira, raising them as his own.

Upon embarking on a life with Leila, Ken was recommended to the International Bank of Japan in Los Angeles, CA, where he worked for 10 years. Feeling compelled by electronics yet again, Ken became certified as a Microsoft Engineer. Serving as an accomplished IT specialist and network administrator, he proved invaluable in his 10 years at Securitas, and 5 years with the Screen Actors Guild. Much missed, Ken was lured back to Securitas, where he worked 5 more years, before ALS forced his early retirement.

Ken was kind-hearted, modest, and generous, selflessly giving of himself to those who needed him. Often a man of few words, he was nevertheless an excellent story-teller, with a ribald and sardonic sense of humor. A keen and lifelong learner, Ken expressed a balanced and decidedly Eastern perspective on life. He loved animals with a passion, caring for a menagerie of animals in and outside the home, including dogs, cats, fish, reptiles, rats, squirrels, and even local skunks. At the age of 61, Ken was diagnosed with ALS. Although this devastating disease progressively deprived him of his ability to move and to speak, he never lost his mind and spirit. Thanks to technology that Ken well appreciated, he communicated to the end, using a speech assistive eye tracking device. In his last two months of life, Ken stayed focused by writing a memoir, composing over 50 stories about his life and thoughts. In his final story, he proclaimed himself lucky, expressing gratitude for his unchanged mind, and for his devoted family and friends.

Ken is preceded in death by the recent deaths of his dear parents. He is survived by his loving family, including his wife Leila, his daughter and son, his two siblings, and a host of family and friends.

Ken felt the sincere responsibility of having consumed much in his lifetime, and he wished to honor nature by give back to the earth. His generous spirit continues in his final wishes to have his body composted.  Ken will be gently transformed into soil through a process called Natural Organic Reduction, and his soil will be used to help flowers, plants and new life thrive. A Laying-in ceremony will take place at 2pm on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at Recompose Funeral Home in Seattle, WA.