by Mitchell Palacio | Mar 17, 2026 | News, Obituary
Masataka Hirayama passed away quietly February 23, 2026 at 85 years old. He was a long time Judoka of Hawaiian Judo. He began Judo in the 1950s on the island of Hawai’i (Big Island) and paralleled the beginnings of what is now USJF. From the 1970s to the 1990s...
by Mitchell Palacio | Mar 2, 2026 | News, Obituary
Sensei Dale Thompson Florida Judo Leader, Rokudan, Mentor, and Builder of Community The Florida judo community mourns the passing of Dale Thompson, a lifelong judoka, respected teacher, and devoted leader whose influence shaped generations of athletes across the...
by Mitchell Palacio | Jan 23, 2026 | News, Obituary
Neil Simon Past President, United States Judo Federation & Konan Yudanshakai Neil Simon, past president of the United States Judo Federation (USJF) and Konan Yudanshakai, passed away on Friday, January 23, leaving behind a legacy of service, leadership, and deep...
by Stilman Davis | Nov 28, 2025 | News, Obituary
Tone Shimizu died peacefully in hospice care on November 4, 2025, after suffering a stroke. Tone was born to Kameki Shimizu and Sotera Fernandez in Negros Oriental, Philippines on March 30, 1938. Tone moved with his family to Japan after the war. He grew up in...
by Stilman Davis | Jan 19, 2024 | News, Obituary
It is with great sadness that we share the news that Sensei Robert Harder, Hachidan, passed away Wednesday, January 17, 2024, surrounded by family at the age of 89 years, in Spokane, WA. We wish to express our deepest sympathy to Harder Sensei’s family. We have lost a...
by Stilman Davis | Nov 7, 2023 | News, Obituary
We are saddened to inform you that Dennis Dee High passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on October 8, 2023 in Anchorage, Alaska. Please visit High Sensei’s memorial page on the Alaska Judo website. High Sensei’s family requests any donations in Memory of...
