Obituary of Misako H. Brazzell

Misako Helen Brazzell, age 93, of Westminster CO, passed away March 25, 2023 at home.

Misako was born April 10, 1929 in Sakhalin, Japan being the 3rd and last surviving child of her father Kamejaburo Shinohara and her mother Aki Fukanaga. She was 16 years old in 1945 when the Russian Army bombarded her hometown and invaded the city. She was very fortunate to be protected by a female Russian officer who took her in as an assistant to run errands and kept her safe. However, Misako was later forced to leave her home and migrated towards Hokkaido and Tokyo with her family. In 1957 she met Harold who was stationed in Japan with the Army doing work in the medical department to stop an outbreak of diseases in Tokyo. They got married in 1958 and had their first child Bill.

After a year of marriage they went to The United States and settled in Baltimore, Maryland. There she helped expand the beginning of the Buddhist organization NSA (Nichiren Shoshu of America) that was developing in the US on the East Coast. In 1963 the family moved to Denver Colorado where she helped further spread the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism. In 1967 they had their second child Paula. For over 50 years she shared her home in Boulder and Westminster for Buddhist discussion meetings. During those she affected many people's lives in a meaningful way through the teachings and example of Buddhism.

Misako was also a very big part of the Japanese Cultural Society in Denver. Along with her sister Sayoko, they participated in traditional Japanese entertainment including many kinds of dance, music, flower arrangements, musical events, singing shows, tea ceremonies and Koto performances. Always eager to share her rich culture with anyone, she would perform in formal organized shows as well as volunteer her talents to colleges, high schools and even her grandchildren's elementary schools. Another thing she loved sharing was her gift for cooking and would feed anybody and everybody a traditional Japanese meal.

Being an Entrepreneur she co-owned a shop selling jewelry, cosmetics and furs in Larimer Square and Sakura Square. Among this she also promoted Health & Beauty products, made handcrafted Japanese silk dolls, and was also a Seamstress.

Misako had a very happy fruitful life and was always on the go. She and Harold always made a positive impact in supporting their family. They also loved traveling with friends to many destinations or just going out locally. With no hesitation, she welcomed everyone into conversation with a sunny disposition sharing a spirit of laughter and joy.

Surviving Family: her 2 children William H. Brazzell & Paula Ann (Brazzell) Robitaille; 11 Grandchildren- Melissa Bullard; Binicio, John, Robert, Timothy, and Corey; Gerald III, Joseph, Anna Robitaille-Uribe, Amy, and Amber; and 12 Great grandchildren - Corey, Kylee; Emma; Annabelle, Silas, Odin, Finn; TigerLillie, Kenji; Luna, Ares, and Angela.

Memorial Services will be held at 11:00am Saturday April 15, 2023 at the SGI Buddhist Center 1450 Speer Blvd. Denver, CO 80204. 

ZOOM information available upon request.

Refreshments directly after the service.