June 17, 1933 – May 2, 2026
June Takahashi (nee Hayami) passed away peacefully on May 2, 2026, 92 years old. Born in Vancouver, she and her family were interned during the Second World War before resettling in Farnham, Quebec. That experience shaped a lifetime of advocacy: June went on to work with the National Association of Japanese Canadians on the Redress program, helping secure recognition and compensation for the human rights violations inflicted upon Japanese Canadians. June was at the heart of the effort to find and acknowledge Japanese Canadians who were denied their rights for a decade, forced from their homes and businesses, interned and then deported after WWll; actions fuelled by racism. Working with the community and the Redress Secretariat, her gentle humanity ensured that Redress was offered to over 24,000 survivors in Canada and in Japan. Her contributions were honoured with the Ambassador’s Award, conferred by His Excellency Kanji Yamanouchi.
Gregarious and outgoing, June lived fully — in Montréal, Toronto, Baden-Soellingen, and Ottawa, and on her travels around the world. A martial artist of the highest order, she earned a seventh-degree black belt in Judo and co-founded Takahashi Dojo in Ottawa in 1969, nurturing generations of judoka.
She was the beloved wife of Masao James Takahashi (1929–2020), and is survived by her brothers George and Hiro; her children Allyn, Ray, and Tina; her grandchildren Christy, Jenny, Emi, Mariko, Steven, Adam, Torin, and Liam; and great-grandchildren Alice, Philly, Lily, Kato, Miya, Talula, and Tomio. She was predeceased by her son Phil (2020).
A celebration of life will be held in the near future.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ottawa Japanese Community Association (OJCA/OJCC)
or to Takahashi Dojo to establish a scholarship for young judoka.