Hiroshi (Paul) Shimotake

Knock, and it will be opened to you. Everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks finds. Everyone who knocks it will be opened”  Matthew 7:7-8)

Obituary

Hiroshi “Paul” Shimotake passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 20, 2025, at home in the Sequoias of San Francisco Retirement Community, at the age of 96. 

Hiroshi was born on December 6th, 1928, in Omiya ward of Saitama-prefecture to Yosuke and Misao (Shibuki) Shimotake. They would soon move to the Asakusa district of Tokyo.  He was the eldest of four brothers and was a quiet, introspective child who preferred reading and nature to the rough play of the streets. To avoid neighborhood bullies, his parents enrolled him in a private school, where his love of reading, writing, and the outdoors flourished.

This early experience instilled in him a deep belief in the lifelong value of a quality education.  He began keeping personal journals in his teens—beautifully penned, usually in Japanese, but occasionally in German (the language of science) and English, to improve his skills. He was an avid learner who wrote about his classes in thermodynamics and quoted Jean Paul Sartre with equal enthusiasm. He remained a voracious reader throughout his life and was delighted to discover he could carry his entire library on a Kindle while traveling. 

Hiroshi turned 13 years old on Dec 6th, 1940, the day before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. He was a peace-loving man who rarely spoke of the war, except for one story: riding his bicycle home one evening, he instinctively chose an alternate bridge across the Sumida River in Tokyo. The bridge he usually used was destroyed in the bombing raid. Hiroshi had been introduced to Christianity by his Grandfather, and mother's relatives (Shibuki) who were devote Russian Orthodox Christians. Hiroshi believed God had spared his life for a greater purpose.  Japan was still recovering from the war when Hiroshi attended college at Nihon University.  In his diary entry from Jan 1, 1951, he wrote (English translation): “The world seems to be struggling to rise from the ever-deepening danger of the quagmire, gasping and suffocating, not knowing what to do. At the first meeting of the year today, Dr. Moak quoted 2 Peter 3:10 and preached about leaving behind all material and earthly things, and placing ourselves entirely in God’s will. We have nothing to fear— it is all under God’s will”. Hiroshi earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Nihon University in 1951 and worked at the Showa Denko Chemical Company, helping to rebuild Japan’s industrial infrastructure after World War II. But he dreamed of studying abroad, and following the advice of his friend and mentor, Mr. Yasumasa Amanda, he secured a position in a graduate program in the United States. 

On August 30th, 1955, Hiroshi boarded the M.S. Kyoei Maru in Yokohama harbor and embarked on the 12-day ocean journey to Portland, eventually arriving in Chicago, Illinois, to begin his studies at Northwestern University. He would spend the next 65 years of his life in the Midwest, raising a family and building a life. He earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering in 1958 and began his first job at the Whirlpool Corporation headquarters in Benton Harbor, MI. But he was soon recruited to work at Argonne National Laboratory—one of 11 U.S. National Laboratories for energy and technology—where he remained for over 25 years. His research focused on battery cell technology long before electric vehicles were mainstream. He was awarded more than 30 patents and was one of the earliest scientists to explore hybrid vehicle systems.  In one memorable project, he and a colleague welded together two Saab sedan chassis—one with an electric engine, the other gas-powered—to create a prototype hybrid vehicle. Neighborhood kids marveled when he drove experimental electric cars home from work, including one built for the 1970 Osaka World Expo (with a custom-issued Illinois vanity plate reading “69,” the year it was built). For many years, he also served as editor and publisher of U.S. Battery Patents, a hand-compiled newsletter meticulously tracking new patents in the field long before searchable databases existed.

Hiroshi met his wife and life partner, Hiroko Hamada, in Chicago, Illinois, when his classmate Paul Nelson and wife Esther introduced them at a bible study. Hiroko was working as a nurse in a medical exchange program at American Hospital (now Thorek Memorial). They were married on March 12, 1960, at North Shore Baptist Church on Lakewood Ave. by his friend and spiritual mentor, Rev. Masaru Nambu. He and Hiroko remained devoted members of the Japanese American congregation at North Shore Baptist Church for nearly 60 years. Hiroshi was a man of deep faith and humility who believed his life had been spared and saved by Jesus Christ. Even after building a home in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale, Hiroshi and Hiroko would drive nearly an hour each way every Sunday to attend services at North Shore Baptist Church. The Japanese American congregation and church community became a focal point of their lives. It led to many wonderful experiences and lifelong friendships in Chicago, Japan, and throughout the world.  Together, Hiroshi and Hiroko built a life and raised their three children—Jean, Paul, and Thomas. They instilled in their children the values of their faith and cultural connections to their homeland of Japan. Hiroshi even hired a Japanese carpenter to remodel their home to include a tatami mat tearoom and Japanese garden for Hiroko, who taught Urasenke Japanese tea ceremony there for over 30 years. Hiroshi became a church deacon and participated in several international aid missions to Guatemala. He and Hiroko remained active members of the church for nearly 60 years, until relocating to the Sequoias of San Francisco Retirement Community in 2019.

A man of deep intellect and wide-ranging interests, Hiroshi was equally at home discussing Tolstoy, Lithium cell technology, or Go board game strategies.  He loved music - especially romantic composers like Beethoven and Schubert — and subscribed to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Hiroko for over 50 seasons. He sang in the church choir his whole life and encouraged his children to appreciate and play music. In his youth, he loved hiking and mountain climbing. Among his favorite places were Oze National Park and the Hida Mountains of the Northern Japan Alps. He loved nature photography and painting as a young man, hiking in Japan. He continued photography and built a darkroom in the basement of his Hinsdale home. After retirement, he rediscovered these passions and illustrated his travel journals with small sketches and watercolors during extended hiking trips in Japan and abroad. He rediscovered his love for language and studied Spanish (his 5th language) at the local community college, even completing a semester abroad in Costa Rica, where he was older than his classmates by a factor of three. He went on several mission trips to Guatemala with his church. Then, at the age of 78, he spent a month hiking the 500-mile Camino de Santiago Compostela, and then did it again five years later.

Hiroshi Shimotake was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who was a man of deep faith and quiet dignity. He was a lifelong learner who remained curious his entire life.   He is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Hiroko Shimotake; His two younger brothers,  Yuzaburo “Jay” Shimotake (Yumiko) and Mitsuo Shimotake (Kumiko); along with his three children, Jean Eri Shimotake, Paul Sakae Shimotake, and Thomas Kiyoshi Shimotake (Janet); Five grandchildren, Nicole Jun Shimotake, Alex Ryo Shimotake, Christopher Masakazu Shimotake, Abigail Mika Shimotake and Allison Hana Shimotake, along with many dearly loved nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews in the U.S. and Japan. He was preceded in death by his brother Toshio Shimotake (Kayoko).

The family wishes to thank the doctors and staff from UCSF Health who cared for Hiroshi during his 6 years in San Francisco; the caregivers from By The Bay Health and Home Instead, who helped Hiroshi fulfill his wish to remain at home for the last year of his life. We are grateful to Reverend Hiroko Suzuki Sensei from the Christ United Presbyterian Church for her visits, prayers, and spiritual support. And finally, the staff and community of the Sequoias of San Francisco Retirement Community for their understanding and support for both Hiroshi and Hiroko. 

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