Eiko Gifford

Eiko Gifford, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at Hoosier Village in Zionsville, IN. She was 92 years old. Eiko was born on January 25, 1929, in Tokyo, Japan, the third of six children born to the late Takashi and Kotoko (Kawashima) Yamada. She was raised in Tokyo, Japan and grew up in her teen years during World War II.  After the war, she worked initially at the Post Exchange (retail department store for the U.S. Army and Air Force military) and then at the U.S. Air Force Tokyo International Airport where she received the honor of Japanese civilian of the month.  While working as an administrative clerk in the same airport office, she met an American G.I., Dick Gifford, in 1954.  They began to see each other and dating; then they married on October 8, 1956.  Upon returning to the U.S. after serving in the Korean War, Dick and Eiko lived briefly in Florida, before returning to Dick’s home state, Indiana.  They lived the rest of their lives together in Indianapolis, Indiana while raising their family, for 50 years, until Dick passed away on May 4, 2007.

Eiko spent her time as a homemaker and took great pride in keeping the home neat and clean, with no shoes allowed in the house, similar to her upbringing in Japan.  She loved shopping for a bargain as well as gardening in her flower beds.  In her later years, she spent more of her time visiting and spoiling her grandchildren.  She enjoyed some traveling and made her final trip back to Japan in 2016 to see her sisters and family.  Above all, Eiko loved and cherished being the matriarch of the family, as a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She will forever be remembered for her courtesy and kindness to others, especially the family she loved.

Surviving her are one son and 3 daughters:  Daron (Linda) Gifford of Bingham Farms, MI; Diann (Tom predeceased) Reese of Wichita Falls, TX; Denise (David) Haddix of Indianapolis IN; Danine (Chuck) Ridgeway of Brownsburg IN; 12 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and 3 sisters in Tokyo, Japan.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Dick; brother, Koichi Yamada; sister, Kazue Watanabe; daughter-in-law, Beverly; and son-in-law, Tom Reese.

The family extends a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Hoosier Village and St. Vincent Hospice for all the loving care they provided to Eiko and the family.

Friends are welcome to visit with the family at Flanner Buchanan – Washington Park North from 10:30am to 12:00pm. The funeral service will be at 12:00pm with burial following immediately in Washington Park North Cemetery, next to her husband Dick.

Memorial donations may be made in memory of Eiko to Ascension St. Vincent Foundation, BHI Foundation, or a charity of the donor’s choice.