Shigeki Okano

Shigeki Okano

1957 - 2026

Shigeki Okano was born on November 21, 1957, in Tokyo, Japan. He passed away peacefully at home in Ballard on June 25, 2026, at the age of 68, following a courageous battle with ALS.

As the eldest son, Shigeki grew up with a wide range of interests—from symphonic music and American rock to swimming—all while feeling pulled toward a different path than his father’s family business. In high school, he met Iyoko Kawamura. Following a long-distance courtship during his college years in Shimonoseki, they married in 1980 and moved to Nagasaki to start their life together while Shigeki attended graduate school at Nagasaki University. It was there that their oldest daughter, Ayako, was born.

After graduation, Shigeki and Iyoko returned to Tokyo, where he joined Hokkaido Seafoods, marking the beginning of his 40-year career in the commercial seafood industry. Following the birth of his younger daughter, Yoko, he was recruited to the “other side” of the negotiating table by Lafayette Fisheries, a growing force in the Alaskan seafood industry.

This career transition brought the family to the United States in 1987. While building a life away from extended family presented challenges, the Okanos navigated them together, lifted by a community of deep friendships that became family over the years. As the industry evolved, Lafayette Fisheries merged with Silver Lining Seafoods to form Norquest Seafoods in 1991, which was later acquired by Trident Seafoods in 2004. Throughout these transitions, Shigeki remained a leading voice and a vital bridge between Alaska, Japan, and the global seafood market.

In 2010, Shigeki took a bold step and founded Silver Creek & Okano Sales Company alongside partners Leader Creek Fisheries and Silver Bay Seafoods. Through this venture, he channeled his deep respect and appreciation for Alaskan fishermen by working directly with them—and crucially, alongside his daughter, Ayako. In 2013, he and Ayako formally joined Silver Bay Seafoods to continue building on this collaborative legacy.

When he received his ALS diagnosis in early 2025, Shigeki chose never to retire, continuing to pour his immense passion and energy into his work. Remarkably, he even traveled to attend the global seafood expo in Barcelona that same year, a testament to his unbreakable spirit.

Shigeki's grandfather had chosen kanji characters for his name that meant “flourishing joy” (茂喜), a purpose Shigeki fully realized. For him, the key ingredients to that joy were food, family, and friends. He brought abundant, delicious meals and a never-ending wealth of stories and laughter to every room he entered, all bound by a deep integrity that forged lifelong partnerships across the globe.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Iyoko; his daughters, Ayako Okano (Mike Bear) and Yoko Okano (Ravi Grover); his cherished grandchildren, Hanae, Kengo, and Madison; and his younger brother Shinji.

A private celebration of life will be held later this year. Please share your memories of Shigeki at www.emmicklakeview.com 

Arrangements Entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home - Lake View ~ Seattle, Washington