Obituaries : Carl Tamaki; Former DWP Chief Engineer
Carl Minoru Tamaki, 68, former interim general manager and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, died Thursday.
In a 32-year career with the giant utility, Tamaki helped design several major DWP facilities, including the Valley, Scattergood and Haynes generating stations and the Mohave Power Project.
Tamaki was born in Calexico and served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps during World War II. He attended UC Berkeley and the University of Missouri.
He became executive assistant to the general manager in 1975 and served as interim general manager. When he retired in June, 1979, he was assistant general manager and chief engineer.
Tamaki, a tournament bridge player, was past president of the Westside Optimist Club, past director of the Westchester YMCA and Crenshaw YMCA and served on the district attorney’s advisory council. He also was on the board of directors of the Japanese-American Cultural and Community Center and was president of the Japanese Community Pioneer and Social Service Center.
Funeral services will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Union Church in Little Tokyo.
He is survived by his wife, Anna Mae; sons, Paul and John; daughter, Mary Haydon, and sisters, Yone Nishimura, Noby Okamoto and Rose Uyeno.
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