Joseph Iwano

Former Mercer Island resident, Joseph Iwano, passed away at the age of 91 on October. 28, 2011, in Issaquah. Born in the town of Hakalau, Joe grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii. As a child, he worked in sugar cane fields and the plantation store. His lifelong love of learning propelled him through Hilo High School, the University of Hawaii, and the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, from which he graduated in 1950. After his residency at McGuire Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, and military service as a U.S. Army captain at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, he settled his family in Ohio, where he was a well-respected urologist, practicing in Alliance and Salem for 32 years.In 1988, Joe retired and moved to Mercer Island with his wife, the former Molly Ito. They had been married 46 years when Molly died in 1990. In 1993, he married Ann Lensrud, who survives him with his children, Elizabeth, Ruth, Andrew, Amy, and Elaine, six grandchildren, and his sister Kay. He is remembered for the lives he improved as a physician, his delight in family and friends, and his passion for learning, travel, and ice cream. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests remembrance donations to one of the following: NW Medical Teams International at www.medicalteams.org; the Alzheimer’s Association, PO Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090; or MI United Methodist Church, 7070 SE 24th St., Mercer Island, WA 98040.Services will be held on Saturday, November 19th, at 2 pm, at Mercer Island United Methodist.

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