NVC Foundation Japanese American Memorial Wall

Samuel Kakehashi ( 1927-2015) was born in Seattle where he enjoyed exploring the city with his father and sitting in the branches of backyard plum, pear and cherry trees, sampling the fruit. His father died when he was eleven. Sam was evacuated with his mother and two older brothers to Minidoka Internment Camp when he was fourteen years old. He lived in camp for two years before his mother learned of a sponsor living in Yellow Springs, Ohio, who agreed to hire his mother for housework and childcare. Sam completed high school in Yellow Springs and was elected president of his senior class. He joined the Navy in the Spring of 1946, served for 28 months. He attended Ohio State University as a veteran. While working on a boat on Lake Michigan for his summer job, Sam met his future wife, Hildegarde. After their marriage, Sam attended dental school at OSU. Sam joined the Public Health Service in 1956 and interned at Brighton Hospital, MA. The family moved to Cincinnati where he served as the dental officer in charge of the USPHS Outpatient Clinic. Sam then attended the Medical College of Virginia where he received an MA in Pathology/Periodontology. In Bethesda, MD, Sam worked as clinical associate in periodontology and as principal investigator with the Oral Medicine and Surgery Branch. From 1969-1974, he served as chief of the Clinical Center Dental Department, and served as chief of the Periodontal Diseases Program, NIDR Extramural programs from 1974-1985. Dr. Kakehashi also served as a special lecturer at the US Naval Dental School and the National Naval Medical Center and was a clinical associate professor of Periodontology at the Georgetown University School of Dentistry. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Periondontology In 1985, he retired and started a full time private periodontal practice in Bethesda. He and Hildy moved to Tucson, AZ in 2009, Sam is survived by his wife, Hildy, two daughters, Carrie and Lisa, son-in-law, Gary Furney, and two grandchildren, Caitlin and Brian Furney.