FISCHER, Eiko SAEKI 1936 - 2020

FISCHER, SAEKI, YASUDA, GAVIN

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/25/2021 at 20:22:45

"Southeast Iowa Union / Fairfield Ledger"
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Page 2

EIKO SAEKI FISCHER
Fairfield

Eiko SAEKI FISCHER, 84, passed away May 1, 2020, in fairfield, Iowa, at Parkview Care Center, with her daughter at her bed-side. A private gathering to honor and celebrate her life will be held at a later date.

She was born in 1936 in Fukuoka, Japan, to Jinsuke SAEKI (Eiko's father), and her mother, Fushino (YASUDA) SAEKI.

Eiko lived a life of undaunted spirit and courage. She had a natural thoughtfulness toward others, a gracious and generous heart, great elegance and an appreciation of life's beauty.

Her early life was the difficult atmosphere of growing up during war-time Japan in the 1940s, a period that saw the bombing of her family's home and the sudden illness and death of her mother. Despite these hardships, in life she remained inspired and graced by a lightness of spirit.

As a young adult in Japan, she studied fashion design, and her work within a company there led to her being granted a scholarship to go to the U.S. to continue her fashion design studies at the Traphagen School of Fashion in New York City in the early 1960s.

While as a fashion design student in New York, Eiko met her future husband, Clifford ('Cliff') H. FISCHER, a native and life-long resident of Southern New Jersey. Cliff worked in print and broadcast advertising for many years as a copywriter for various Philadelphia advertising agencies. He was a decorated veteran of World War II who served in Europe. They married in 1965 and together they raised two children. Cliff preceded her in death in 2001.

In the 1980s, Eiko worked as a pattern-maker for the Philadelphia-based American fashion designer Albert Nipon, whose design house was renowned for its classic women's dress-making and its exceptional tailoring.

In her mid-40s, there was a deep-rooted change in Eiko's priorities and in her life direction. With an inner call to be of more service to others, she was guided toward the study of alternative healing. She returned to school to study shiatsu massage, acupuncture, cranio-sacral therapy, chi-kung and Taoist meditation. She was a graduate of the International School of Shiatsu in Doylestown, Pa., and trained at the Universal Healing Tao School. With characteristic focused commitment and trust in life, she established a thriving healing practice in her town of Collingswood, N.J., where she worked as a gifted healer who helped many people in a spirit of deep dedication and care until her retirement at age 70.

Upon retirement, Eiko became a resident of Santa Fe, N.M., and later of Fairfield, Iowa.

A dearly loved teacher in Eiko's journey was the humanitarian leader and spiritual teacher Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, known more widely as Amma (The Hugging Saint). Eiko especially loved being able to attend Amma's programs each year since 1995, and she greatly enjoyed doing volunteer work within Amma's charitable organization both within the U.S. and in India, where here Eiko met many life-long friends.

Eiko will be deeply missed by her family. She is survived by her son, Steven; and her daughter, Tamiko; and her son-in-law, Joseph GAVIN.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to one of Amma's humanitarian projects either online through Amma.org or by mail to: M. A. Center Attn: Donations, P.O. Box 613, San Ramon, CA 94583.

Online condolences may be made to the family at behnerfh.com.

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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

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