Takaya Yamazaki
Takaya Yamazaki Obituary
Takaya Yamazaki passed away in his home on April 5, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. He was 63 years old.
Takaya was born in 1961 to Sumiko and Shun-ichiYamazaki, and grew up in Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan. Takaya graduated from Kwansei Gakuin University in 1984, then moved to New York City to pursue filmmaking – a move which marked his first flight, first time leaving his country, and a relocation to a city where he knew no one. It was here that he met his future wife, Betsy, and earned his MFA in filmmaking from NYU. After graduating with honors in Editing, Takaya wrote, directed, and edited an independent feature film which was picked up by a distributor and played at film festivals.
When his twins were born in 1999, Takaya decided to become a stay-at-home dad. Takaya was actively involved in his children’s lives. He directed school plays for the Japanese weekend school and coached baseball for Kensico Little League – programs which his daughter and son participated in, respectively. It has often been remarked that while Takaya encouraged responsibility and dedication, he also ensured that the young people he worked with experienced the fun of being a child and doing something you love.
Takaya lived an active and creative life. He played tennis several times every week and loved to ski with his family. He was a phenomenal cook, and guests to the Yamazaki household could often count on Takaya’s delicious Japanese food. He was a published author who wrote both a book and an ongoing Japanese newspaper column, chronicling his experience as a Japanese stay-at-home dad in America. Motorcycle rides with friends, hiking, playing the piano, photography, and yearly trips to Japan also added to his bountiful life.
Takaya’s experiences working with young people inspired him to pursue a Master's degree in School Counseling at Hunter College. At the age of 54, he started a new career as an Advocate Counselor at Bronx Arena High School. A deeply rewarding experience, Takaya worked diligently until January 2023 when he retired due to his cancer treatments.
The strength of character that propelled Takaya across the world as a young man and through each chapter of his life remained steadfast in his last 18 months. Following his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, Takaya focused on moving forward through his treatments, remaining as active as he could, and enjoying quality time with friends and family.
Takaya is survived by his wife of 35 years, Betsy, along with their children, Jeannie and Leo, his sister Kyoko Ashikari and her family, good friends in the U.S. and Japan, and the beloved old Yamazaki family cat, Joy.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 14th. Please contact Pleasant Manor for details.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to benefit Bronx Arena High School, whose mission is to support and empower over-age, under-credited students to achieve academic success:
.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Takaya Yamazaki, please visit our floral store.
