Jun J. Kawakami

Jul 5, 1929 -

Dec 9, 2020

Longtime Alaska resident Jun J. Kawakami passed away last year on Dec. 9, 2020, in Anchorage, Alaska, at Alaska Regional Hospital, of COVID-19 pneumonia. He was 91.

Jun was born in Sunnyside, Utah, on July 5, 1929, to Sakutaro Kawakami and Aya (Hirota) Kawakami, the third of four siblings. The family later settled in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Jun attended and graduated from East High School and the University of Utah, earning a degree in meteorology.

From 1951-1957, Jun served in the United States Air Force, the latter part of those years as an aerial reconnaissance weather officer aboard B-29 bombers. He was awarded the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Aircrew Member Badge and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. He retired at 1st Lieutenant.

Following his Air Force service Jun worked as a meteorologist at a number of now defunct airlines, including Eastern Airlines and Northwest Orient, which took him from Tokyo to Denver, Colo.; Seattle, Wash.; San Francisco, Calif.; and Anchorage, where he embarked on a nearly 30-year career at the National Weather Service, retiring in 1994.

Jun enjoyed skiing, classical music, World War II history, holding forth on politics and current events with his NWS friends, and rooting for his beloved San Francisco 49ers.

Jun was preceded in death by his parents; son, Kuri Kawakami; wife of 53 years, Teru Kawakami; and sisters, Yas Sako and Renee Nishikawa.

He is survived by his daughter, Chiyo Kawakami of Anchorage; brother, Tom Kawakami of San Mateo, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.