Obituaries : Former Oxnard Mayor Dr. Tsujio Kato Dies; Guided Strawberry Fest

Former Oxnard Mayor Dr. Tsujio Kato, a native son who served on the City Council for more than a decade before going on to guide the California Strawberry Festival to national prominence, has died. He was 56.

Kato, recalled from office in 1984 for supporting an unpopular utility tax, collapsed Monday afternoon at the south Oxnard dental office he has owned and operated since 1965. He was taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, the victim of a heart attack.

“He was a rare one,” said his wife, Sumiko Kato. “He loved the city. It was his whole life to serve.”

In fact, after a decade-long absence from politics, Kato made an unsuccessful bid for a City Council seat in 1993. Many people attributed his loss, in part, to his misdemeanor conviction for shoplifting $22 worth of barbecue utensils in 1982.

But friends and supporters say Kato was undeterred by the incident, noting his energetic participation over the years in numerous civic projects and service clubs.

“That was a minor incident in his life, but he continued to demonstrate his leadership in the community,” said Assemblyman Nao Takasugi (R-Oxnard), a former Oxnard mayor and lifelong friend of Kato.

“He was just a tireless worker,” Takasugi added. “I think his passing leaves such a void in the makeup of the city’s leadership. I don’t know if he can be replaced.”

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Added Bill Gallaher, president of the Oxnard Firefighters Assn., which endorsed Kato in 1993: “We knew he was a real good guy and would be real good for the Fire Department. But the bottom line was we thought he would be real good for the citizens of Oxnard.”

Born in Oxnard in 1938, Kato was just a boy when he and his family were shipped off to Gila River, Ariz., where Japanese Americans were interned during World War II.

When the family returned, Kato went to local schools, graduating from Oxnard High School in 1956 after serving as student body president and captain of the football team.

Kato graduated from Ventura College in 1958 before earning a degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s School of Dentistry in 1965. He also served in the U. S. Marine Corps reserves until graduating from dental school.

Kato opened his dentistry practice upon returning to Oxnard in 1965. In 1972, he won a seat on the City Council.

“He was a natural leader,” Oxnard Mayor Manuel Lopez said Tuesday. “He was a native son, a local boy who made good. Of all the people I have worked with, I think he’s tops.”

Kato was elected mayor in 1976, a post he held until 1982, when he made an unsuccessful bid for the Assembly. Later that year, Kato again won election to the City Council, where he served until he was recalled.

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Away from politics, Kato was able to devote his energy to community service, especially the California Strawberry Festival, an event he pioneered and headed up since its inception.

In recent years, the festival generated more than $500,000 annually, with much of the profit directed to a variety of local nonprofit groups.

“As far as replacing Dr. Kato as our leader, he’s irreplaceable,” said Don DeArmond, who served with Kato on the festival’s executive committee. “He’s been the person who has kept us together, who has kept us fighting for the things we need. Those kinds of people you just don’t replace.”

In addition to heading the festival, Kato had served as president of the Ventura County chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, the Oxnard Noontimers Lions Club and the Boys’ Club of Oxnard.

He had also served on a variety of government boards and agencies, including terms as chairman of the Local Agency Formation Commission of Ventura County and the Ventura County Regional Sanitation District.

“I don’t know where he got the energy,” said Lopez, who ordered that flags at Oxnard City Hall fly at half-mast Tuesday. “He was a real super guy. His passing is a real loss to the community.”

In addition to his wife, Kato is survived by two sons, Tsujio Dean and Kenji; a daughter, Denise Bang; three brothers, Eiki, Victor and Ron, and a sister, Loraine Lieppman.

Funeral arrangements are pending and are being handled by Fukui Mortuary of Los Angeles.