Theresa Chan Togashi
August 21, 1948 ~ October 25, 2024
Born in:
Baltimore , Maryland
Resided in:
Vienna, Virginia
Theresa Chan Togashi, affectionately known as Terri, passed away early Friday morning on October 25, 2024, in the comfort of her long-time home in Vienna, Virginia.
Proudly born and raised in Baltimore, she was the first of four children. Her parents, Wesley, Sr. and Bonnie, owned a Chinese laundry and later a takeout restaurant, where Terri learned how to expertly balance account sheets and develop a love for great food.
A graduate from University of Maryland with a BA in Sociology and BS in Business & Management, she earned her chops in Sales at IBM and later moved into international consulting at IBTCI in local Tyson’s.
Terri was a self-proclaimed sweet tooth, humble cancer survivor, fan of “Oldies, but Goodies” songs, and loved a “humdinger” story. She was a collector of memories, moments, and knick-knacks, ranging from sports newspaper clippings of The Washington Post, VHS recordings of the Kennedy Center Honors, Christmas ornaments, theater programs, Happy Meals toys, and every greeting card ever received.
Her favorite moments were summers in the Outer Banks, NC, and adventures to the National Parks, a cruise to Alaska, a tour of China, enjoying orchids in Singapore and tulips in the Netherlands, pastries in Paris, not taking a public bath in Japan, and last year watching her daughter get married outside of Geneva, Switzerland.
This year, after a long journey of personal health endeavors and a “close call” in April, Terri persevered for six more months to witness her son walk down the aisle in DC in early October and, importantly, taste the wedding cake that was promised to her. In an improvised speech, she stunned the room with her final words of wisdom, “Be kind to each other.”
She lives on through her husband of 45 years, Mikio, and their two kids, Kevin and Kelly. She felt grateful and full for having such a loving family and circle of friends around her.
As a life-long fan of British murder mysteries, you are welcome to send a tribute donation in her honor to the PBS Foundation or, alternatively, send any flowers directly to Money & King Funeral Home for her Celebration of Life memorial on Saturday, November 2nd.
Services
Celebration of Life: November 2, 2024 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Money and King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA 22180
703-938-7440
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2024-11-02 10:00:00
2024-11-02 01:00:00
TheresaChanTogashiCelebration of Life
Celebration of Life
171 W. Maple Ave. ,Vienna, VA 22180
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Shobha and Vivek give our condolences on passing of Terri, such a loving colleague and good friend during our five years of working together at IBTCI, we enjoyed those years and shared many personal stories. Terri was well organized multitasker and excellent record keeper. We talked about movies. She retired after I left.
Vivek Date
I’ll always remember Terri as an intelligent, happy, graceful, beautiful soul who, like me and Neil, enjoyed gastronomic delights, especially Asian cuisine. We all had such fun during our Eastern Wind days. We developed strong bonds in our desire to give back to the community through our Eastern Wind endeavors/ accomplishments. We are so proud that the Chinatown Mural established our legacy for several years during the 1970’s-early 1980’s on 7th and H Streets, in Chinatown D. C. After finishing our many projects, newsletters, etc., we all especially loved going out to eat at the local restaurants where we were introduced to the varied and wonderful and changing Chinese foods throughout those years. It was not only food to nourish our bodies, but the enjoyment and camaraderie of bonding with our fellow Asian Americans/ Pacific Islanders. Unforgettable memories. May a lovely lady rest in peace.
Regina & Neil
In sadness, LaVerle