Susumu “Sam” Nakanishi

It's with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Susumu "Sam" Nakanishi, who left us peacefully on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at Chartwell Westmount Retirement Residence in Kitchener. He was 76 years old.

Sam was the beloved husband of Itsuyo Nakanishi, with whom he shared over 50 years of a truly special partnership. He was a devoted father to Samantha (Colin), Norman, and Yuri (Geoff), and a proud grandfather to Cameron, Nolan, and Violet. Sam was also a cherished brother to Kaname, Kazuko, Minoru, Masami, and Sakae, and will be missed by his many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents Ichino (mother) and Tomegoro (father) and his son, Norman Nakanishi.

Born in the Tokushima prefecture of Japan, Sam was one of six children. He made the brave decision to leave Japan at a young age, driven by a quiet determination to build the new life he envisioned in Canada for himself and his family. In his spare time, Sam found joy in watching and collecting movies, gardening with his wife, and spending time with his grandkids. He also had quite the ingenious spirit, which even led him to create a program to help pick his weekly lottery numbers—though he never hit the big jackpot, it was always for the thrill! He was a natural handyman, able to fix or build almost anything, and was always ready to lend a hand if family or friends called. He even passed down some of those skills to us. Sam worked for many years as a mechanic for Heffner Lexus Toyota, finding great pride and purpose in his job. In his later years, he enjoyed his retirement, spending time fishing with Cameron and Norman, and enjoying the company of Nora, their beloved family cat.

Our family feels profoundly smaller with his passing. Sam will be sorely missed at every holiday, birthday, and family event in the years to come. His life serves as a powerful reminder of resilience, determination, quiet unwavering love, and kindness. He presence will be deeply missed.

A Celebration of Life will be held on July 26th from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM at Williamsburg Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer Society in Sam's memory, reflecting his quiet generosity.

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