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| Wayne Ekimoto |
Wayne
Masato Ekimoto (Poston 19-11-D)
was born on September 27,1944 at the Poston, Arizona concentration camp's General Hospital located on the Colorado River Indian Tribe Reservation.
After President F.D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 after WW II broke out, Yoshio, Kiyoko, and Dennis S. Ekimoto (Poston
19-11-D) were evacuated from Lancaster, California and incarcerated at the Poston, Arizona
concentration camp 1 on May 25, 1942. The living space was very cramped and Wayne and his older brother, Dennis shared a twin bed. His
father, Yoshio left Poston on May 11, 1945 and went to Cleveland, Ohio.
The Ekimoto family finally departed from
Poston, Arizona on September 11, 1945.
They headed to Long Beach, California, then returned to the Antelope
Valley. Wayne's parents were farmers in the Antelope Valley in
Southern California and the
only family of the original thirteen families that settled in Lancaster, Callifornia.
Wayne graduated from Antelope Valley High
School as an all-star athlete. Wayne's name appears on the 1962-1963 Antelope
Valley College Marauder All-Time football roster. He received a Bachelor's degree and in 1974, a Master's
degree from the University of California at Northridge.
Wayne was a loved and respected teacher,
counselor, football and track coach. He received the 1997 Gib Dear Award, which is
given annually to the top high school football assistant by the Southern
California Coaches Association. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Assistant
Football Coaches in California, and received the Antelope Valley High School
Football Hall of Fame Award.
Wayne was employed as a guidance counselor at
Lancaster's Desert Winds High School. He coached the Antelope Valley High
School softball team and was the defensive coordinator
for the Antelope Valley High School football team.
Wayne Ekimoto, a native of Lancaster,
California, died on August 24, 2012. He
was preceded in death by his father, Yoshio B. (2009); and brother, Dennis (2011).
He is survived by his mother, Nancy;
daughter, Crystal Caldwell; and sister, Beverly.
Sources: http://www.avpress.com/obit-archive.php?obit=31449482
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/may/17/local/me-japanese17/2
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/A.V.+TRYING+TO+CLOSE+GAP.-a083860588
http://gomarauders.avc.edu/stats/06-07%20mgpage/fbmg/06alltimerost.pdf
http://articles.latimes.com/1997-01-18/sports/sp-19817_1_cross-country-team
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12510677
