In Memory Of Grace Katagiri

I just learned today of Grace's passing. Our high school graduating class (1966, Roosevelt HS, Seattle) is approaching its 30th year reunion. It was a pleasure to read the warm memories of Grace. I have a few as well.

I moved from Pensacola, Florida to attend a big city high school in Seattle. Our homerooms were alphabetical (Keatts/Katagiri), and Grace was one of the first people I met at my new school. This may also be why we shared a locker as entering sophomores.

Grace and I planned to attend a Beatles concert in the summer (1963?) and we bought our tickets. I ended up visiting cousins in Eastern Washington and missed the concert. Grace went and screamed her lungs out!

Grace and I stayed friendly but not terribly close later in high school, and I lost touch with her when she went off to UC Berkeley to school. I was hoping she would show up at the high school reunion.

It is a pleasure to see how many lives she touched in so many ways.

It sounds like she never stopped befriending those "new kids on the block." We were blessed.

-- Susan Keatts, from Grace's 1966 RHS graduation class

Imet Grace while studying Economics at UC Berkeley in the early 1970s.

She was most helpful during a very difficult time for me while trying to use the Economics lab. I still remember her cheerfulness, patience and determination to make me feel at ease during a most frustrating time for a young college student still learning the ropes at a massive university.

How ironic that we should both end up in SCCA many years later. If my own experience with Grace is in any way typical, it's no wonder she leaves behind so many close friends.

She was a very special person. We were all lucky to have known her

--- mini7boy

I just stumbled across the "in memory of Grace Katagiri" page on the internet. I am shocked and deeply saddened by Grace's passing.

I graduated from Berkeley High School in 1996. I was on the wrestling team for three years, under head coach Brad Itokazu, Grace's husband.

Grace was a constant presence in the wrestling room, and accompanied us to nearly all of our dual meets and tournaments. Grace would keep statistics, carpool, and generally act as a den mother to the wrestling team. She was cheerful, practical, warm, and encouraging to even the scrubbiest of freshmen wrestlers.

I will miss her very very much.

-- Jonah Ewell

I hope that all of us SCCA members who have connections to Cal will donate to support the Economics Prize.

It will allow Grace to continue helping students and faculty even though she is gone.

Sometimes when I announce at Solo II events in the fall, I make silly remarks about Professor Glenn T. Seaborg’s Nobel Prize, the element Seaborgium, and it being National Chemistry week. It would be really fun to get to announce sometime that the Grace Katagiri Prize in Economics had just been awarded and that I knew many of us had helped create it in honor of how Grace helped us.

I was a student in the Berkeley Economics department in the early 1970s and met Grace while taking one of Professor Mc Fadden's classes. She assisted me while I was using the econometrics lab and was most cheerful and helpful.

What a funny coincidence that we both went on to become involved with the San Francisco Region, Grace as an official and me as a driver.

If my experience with Grace is typical, I can easily understand why she was well-loved by so many.

Both the Berkeley and SFR families have lost a good one who will be missed.

Another obituary from the SF Chronicle, 7/27/04:

Grace Katagiri -- administrator at UC Berkeley

Kelly St. John, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 27, 2004

A memorial service will be held Saturday for Grace Sasai Katagiri, a Berkeley resident and university administrator who developed and managed UC Berkeley's econometrics laboratory.

Ms. Katagiri died of pancreatic cancer Tuesday at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley. She was 55.

Born in Honolulu on Oct. 22, 1948, Ms. Katagiri spent most of her childhood in Seattle. She moved to the Bay Area in the 1960s to attend college, and graduated from UC Berkeley in 1970 with an undergraduate degree in English.

Ms. Katagiri then took a job as a secretary in UC Berkeley's Department of Economics. She had no formal training in economics or computer science, but was so organized and quick on her feet that she was soon tapped to become an administrator, said UC Berkeley economics professor and Nobel laureate Daniel McFadden.

In the early 1970s, McFadden asked Ms. Katagiri to manage a large research project studying travel demand and the BART system. It was largely on the basis of that research, McFadden said, that he was awarded the Nobel Prize for economics in 2000.

"It wouldn't have happened without her," McFadden said, adding that she was so central to his winning that he invited her to attend the award ceremony in Sweden along with his wife.

In trademark fashion, Ms. Katagiri meticulously planned that trip as well, even using a spreadsheet to map out her outfits for the weekend, McFadden said.

Ms. Katagiri left UC Berkeley for a time and worked with McFadden at a private company he ran called Cambridge Systematics. In 1991, she returned to the university and helped to develop and manage the Economics Department's econometrics laboratory, which applies statistical methods to the study of economic data and problems. More recently, she helped to establish a behavioral economics laboratory at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, McFadden said.

Earlier this year, she received a distinguished service award from the university for her work.

Ms. Katagiri was also known in Bay Area car racing circles as a longtime volunteer with the San Francisco regional chapter of the Sports Car Club of America. She was especially fond of vintage cars.

Ms. Katagiri initially became involved with the club through her husband, Bradley Itokazu, who used to race cars.

"She got bored just watching," Itokazu said, so she began to volunteer in various roles, from flagman to sound control. She attended races about 15 times a year, and most recently worked in communications for race control, meaning she served as the "eyes and ears" along a road course for officials who are not there to see if an accident has occurred or if hazardous road conditions exist.

"She was an excellent teacher on how to communicate to race control the necessary information. You've got to be able to think on your feet, and articulate well what is happening," said friend Barbara McClellan, who sits on the club's board of directors.

Ms. Katagiri is survived by Itokazu, her husband of 22 years, of Berkeley; her parents, Mineo and Nobu Katagiri of San Francisco; and two sisters, Iao Katagiri of Santa Monica and Laurie Hoshino of Mililani, Hawaii.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. in Oakland.

The university is establishing an economics prize in her name. Contributions can be made to the Grace Katagiri Fund, Department of Economics, University of California, 549 Evans Hall #3880, Berkeley, CA 94720.

KATAGIRI, Grace Sasai - Passed away in Berkeley, CA, on July 21.

Grace was born in Honolulu on October 22, 1948. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1970.

She continued to live in Berkeley and worked with Prof. Daniel McFadden (Nobel laureate, economics) for 35 years, managing econometrics computer simulation labs and mentoring students.

Grace was the beloved wife of Bradley Itokazu (Berkeley and Bakersfield); cherished daughter of Rev. Mineo Katagiri and Nobu Sasai Katagiri (SF); dear sister of Laurie Katagiri Hoshino (Mililani, HI) and Iao Katagiri (Santa Monica, CA).

A large circle of loving family and friends will miss her terribly. Services will be held at the Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA, at 11 am, Sat, July 31.

Prof. McFadden is establishing an econometrics prize in Grace's name.

In lieu of flowers (Grace was allergic to them anyway), contributions can be made to "The Grace Katagiri Fund," Dept. of Economics, University of California, 549 Evans Hall, #3880, Berkeley, CA 94720.

-- Obituary from San Francisco Chronicle, 7/25/04

I learned a lot from Grace, not just about technique but about approach - calmness and judgment, things I try to pass on to trainees.

In future, I will credit her personally for this sound basis upon which we perform our duties.

I will miss her calm quiet voice and funny sense of humor and gives credence to the axiom about the good dying young.

-- Received from Sandy Carreiro-Kyne

I knew Grace during my years as a Ph.D. student in Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. Grace was the computer guru: the authority, mentor, and ultimate source of wisdom at the Econometrics Laboratory. She was a wonderful friend and source of guidance for me during my time at Berkeley. I couldn't have made it through grad school without her. Seeing her has been the highlight of my visits back to campus.

In addition to her professional guidance, I will also remember our conversations about auto racing. My great-uncle raced for MG in the 1950's, and I always delighted in hearing about Grace's participation in racing.

I will miss her terribly.

Sincerely,

-- Received from Michael Ash, Assistant Professor, 7/24/04

I'm deeply saddened to learn of Grace's untimely passing; like so many of us, it's too soon.

I've known Grace for more years than I can count and can remember working with her closely as a Turn Marshall when she was communicating and later flagging.

She was a steady and trusted partner whenever we worked together; I like to hope she forgave me some of my bad jokes.

She never failed to have a sunny "Good Morning, Dave" whenever we met, regardless of precipitation, wind chill or any other adversity (or, more often, lack thereof).

I'm going to miss her.

-- Received from Dave Dodds, 7/24/04

Ihave mixed emotions about the loss of Grace. Sadness that she is gone and relief that she no longer has to suffer.

It has been said we come into racing for the sport but that we stay because of the people. Grace was one of the reasons I've stayed 38 years so far.

She was one of the kindest, sweetest, even tempered people I've ever met. She was always calm on the land line either giving or receiving messages. She had a talent for guiding people through a crisis.

I will always have a special connection to Grace as she was instrumental in getting me my Worker of the Weekend award at the PCRRC in 1995. We just happened to be sitting together at lunch and she mentioned the Communication's crew was giving the Worker of the Weekend Award and needed candidates and I jokingly said how about me for raising money for the Leukemia Society that weekend. Several hours later Barbara McClellan walked up to me and gave me the award and a kiss. I don't know if I ever thanked Grace personally, but I'll never forget her for the award.

God speed Grace, it was my pleasure calling you my friend.

-- Bruce Brunner

It is with great sadness that I tell you Grace Katagiri passed on today from her insidious cancer disease. Such a great loss to our extended family and our sport. We will miss her greatly.

Keep Bradley and the family in your thoughts and prayers.

Condolences can be sent to Bradley Itokazu, 2709 Dwight Way, #34, Berkeley, CA 94704.
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