I have been visited many times by Mahito in the last year. Always playful, climbing, smiling. I feel as though I’ve never truly grieved for him, because I’ve never not felt him. In any case, the most important thing to me is that he is proud of me. He was a tough nut to please. Always wanted a proper knife, proper sushi, a proper rope, a proper truck. I guess for me he always wanted a proper life, and I’ve heard from his mouth that I’m living it. He used to tell me that I knew him better than he knew himself. I miss him. Maybe because I can’t choose to visit him (which is ironic, because I never knew when he’d roller blade up my stairs, show up at some show, appear out of-nowhere, drop in on a random party,… so not much has changed in that regard). In any case, wanted to say that he’s still around, playing in the Ord, chasing skunks and being devious. I feel sorry for the new students on campus. They don’t know why the spirit keeps messing with them. He’ll cross over soon, but he’s still got some fun to have before he goes. Good luck in the next life friend. I don’t think I’ll see you again on this planet. It’s been a hell of an adventure, but it’s time for you to have a proper romp. You’ll do fine. I love you and goodbye.

–Keith R. Bruecker

As dream after old forgotten dream is coming true, I feel compelled to whisper “Thank you.”

My friend, you encouraged me to take the risks to live the adventurous life I really wanted.  I often went the route of logic and safety instead.  You accepted my decision every time.  I assumed that I had made my choices and that was that.  Now, 10 or more years later, the opportunites are resurfacing.  It’s time to take the risks, to grab the opportunities and see where the adventure takes me.

You were right.  I still wanted the adventure.  I’m so glad that it’s not too late.  And I feel you smile.  Go ahead and gloat– I’ll try to follow your example more this time.

*hugs*– Celeste

The first night my husband and I met the big man was the night before an Arroyo Seco hike….He said come on along it will be a great time! I asked what shoes I should wear, hiking, running, or boots? He said, “Ahhh, I always wear flip flops! That’s not a tough hike!”
So off we went on the adventure; my husband in his hiking shoes, me in my “all terrain” sandals, and of course Mahito did wear his flip flops. About half way up the hill the tops of my feet were blistered, so I took off the shoes and walked barefoot…it was about 110 degrees that day so the bottoms of my feet were burned too by the time we got to the water. The cool water really helped! I told him he gave me some new soles to walk on after that hike 😉

All the pain was so worth it because the day went down in infamy…While having a great time in the pools Ben and Mahito decided to see what a crawdad would look like as an earring! We all ended up on Jay Leno’s Tonight show with the crawdad video. If you paused the TV long enough you could see my husband and I in the boat in the background of the shot. It was a day that will live forever in my memories as a wonderful and adventurous weekend. After that we knew we had found a great group of people to hang out with!  We love and miss you big guy!

Kris Cagigao

My wedding was a beautiful day. By a stream that rolled through a giant pine tree farm in Twain Harte, Ca. I am so glad it was small and intimate, all the people I really needed to be there were there. There were less than 50 people at my wedding, and everyone there made their mark on my very special day. Mahito did it literally.

We had six bridemaids and five groomsmen. A big party but a little awkward to get up and down the “aisle”. My wedding party was going through one more run through while I was alone in the dressing room. That one last quiet moment a bride has to steal herself is so amazing. A place in the soul, so full of love and warmth…that moment can never be replicated.

And then my bridemaids burst back in, laughter and excitement filling the room. Mahito had brought spike tape!     The filing in and hitting marks was going to be so easy now, thanks to Mahito!
My father walked me down the aisle, I kissed him and the last person I looked at before my husband filled my world for those few special moments of marriage was Mahito. My wedding was barefoot. I felt the canvass tape under my big toe, smiled and looked out. Mahito and I made eye contact and then, I married the love of my life with Mahito’s purple spike tape under our feet.

Gosh, I loved that man. He made every moment he got himself involved with more special, tenfold.

This was a stormy drive back up to Monterey. I took the 1 and listened to Sinatra all the way up. I got to Mahito’s after dark, opened a bottle of wine and hopped in the hot tub. The next morning would become one of my fondest memories. It was a beautiful, cold, clear Monterey day and Mahito wanted to go for a bike ride. He gave me a helmet and one of his leather jackets, so big it enveloped me. It smelled like him too. I was so scared, the first ten minutes or so I was digging my fingernails into his stomach as we rode off campus and down Reservation Road. At the last turn off before the windy bit,he pulled over and asked if I wanted to keep going. I was going to have to lean into the curves a bit more if we did and I was going to have to trust him because he was pretty sure his stomach was bleeding. He bonked my helmet and told me not to worry about it, but we needed to decide what we were going to do. I wanted to keep going. We did, and oh my goodness once I stopped stressing out, I felt so free. We passed a cop and then for the next few miles tapped our helmets to signal other riders who may come up on it too quickly. We stopped at a grocery for lunch and I got a ginger ale. My stomach was just a little upside down. Mahito massaged out my shoulders and laughed at me again for holding on too tightly. And then, we were on our way again. I feel so blessed to have spent an afternoon with Mahito doing what he loved and tonight’s rain just reminded me of it 🙂

We were at Boca reservoir for Staceys birthday, after a good day of riding we were relaxing around the fire. The campsite down from us was a little rowdy, but no big deal, just kids having fun. Later in the night we heard a pretty nasty argument between a man and woman, followed by sounds of someone getting hit.

I have zero tolerance for a man hitting a woman, and I’m sure Mahito felt the same way. I didn’t know what I was walking into, but I knew without having to look back that Mahito was on my heels ready to figure out why some guy was hitting his girlfriend. Turns out she was beating on him, but you shoulda seen the look in their eyes when we popped out asking if there was a problem. Situation was diffused, and I think people even left smiling, he just had that way with everyone.

My favorite part of that story was knowing that without a doubt, no matter what we were walking into, Mahito had my back. I hope he knew that I have his.

I will be turning the Mahito Memorial Ride into an annual thing. I’ll go boar hunting right before (something he and I always talked about, but never did) and we’ll roast it on a spit, Mahito style.

-Nick “Moose” Ramsay

I have made it most of the way through the day without tears, so let’s see if I can get through this.  Conversations, images, moments, and memories have absolutely monopolized my brain for the past five days.  I met Mahito ten years ago, and he was from the beginning and continued to be a rock in my life. Solid, strong, and safe.

I was a freshman at CSUMB in my first few weeks.  I had run into Mahito a few times.  Penny Layton and I were walking around campus on a Friday night when we ran into Mahito and Bryan Schaefer at the U.C.   Mahito talked us into coming back to a party at his place. Penny and I were both, honestly pretty straight laced girls at the time, hadn’t been out to the apartments yet.  We were both begging off apologies for not being able to come out, when Mahito stuck out his hand for a hand shake. “I always keep everyone safe.  You can trust me. Promise.” And that, was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

So, the highlights:

*Helping Mahito carry lumber up from the garage the night the dance pole and dias were built in his living room.

* Many, many weekends that tended in the same direction. I was lucky enough to be a part of the group of six or eight that stuck around after parties ended.  Crashing in his living room, waking up sometime before noon.  Going out for burritos, then mischief on the beach.  Back to his place for BBQ or hand rolled sushi,  then another night.  Somewhere along the way, 12 became my favorite number, pants made you weak,  and jungle juice wasn’t the same if you didn’t drink it out of a sparklets cooler.

*Mahito was a huge mentor in my technical theater education, but he taught me more than the skills.  He taught me confidence.  So many times, he’d tell me: People won’t really care what you know, if you aren’t 100% sure you know it. I grew up with him.

*Badges at El Teatro Campesino.  He and I practically lived at that theater between my Stage Managing and his Technical Direction.   It’s not a show I would have stuck with if he wasn’t there.  Tough personality conflicts, artistic conflicts, my first time with non student actors.  Many, many nights ended at the Crown and Anchor or back at his place for a beer.  His ability to keep someone calm and centered was incredible.

In traditional Japan, older kids took care of, entertained, and otherwise babysat younger kids, so in our mountain, Mahito, who was generally the oldest kid around, often got stuck with a gang of littler ones. I think that’s part of the reason that he had so much fun with his friends’ kids–he’d practiced for years catching (and releasing) snakes, frogs, turtles, and crayfish (actually he loved to eat the crawdads), making fence lizards into badges (living badges, I must say), and holding honey and bumble bees–sharing all of the neat stuff he’d entertained himself with in the mountains.

So Enid Baxter Blader’s painting of Mahito and Nate feels so right to me–teaching a kid how to do something fun was right up his alley. I am so grateful to be able to share it here.

Beautiful Video of a Memorial Paddle Out for Mahito:

Mahito Memorial Paddle Out

Mahitopalooza is almost here!

For ticket and other information, please go to: http://www.mahitopalooza.com/Mahitopalooza/Welcome.html

We used to build forts. When we were little, and when it was cold out, we would use tinkertoys. We had those giant tinkertoys, the old wooden ones that were three feet across, and could be shoved into spherical joints to build homey cubes, which we covered with blankets and sheets. Outdoors we built homes in every nook and cranny. Mahito had a love of trucks, “dig-digs” as he used to call them, and we spent hours digging a giant construction site (read: an 8x10x2 hole). To outsiders it may have appeared that we were playing with the trucks, but our secret ambition was to build a series of underground tunnels so we could more easily surprise people; so that we could win every snowball fight, and generally triumph over any adults who happened to pass by. Unfortunately Mahito’s 7-10 year old strength combined with my 4-7 year old inability to shove a shovel more than a few inches into the dirt meant that we never actually achieved our tunnel dream.

So we took to the trees– we would claim trees, and parts of trees, and our choices continually evolved as we cleared out small branches, created more comfortable living spaces and lookouts from which to watch the unsuspecting others around us. At some point, we embarked on a tree house. We were told by our parents that nails would hurt the trees, and Mahito took this to heart and felt strongly that nails, in addition to being bad for the trees, would be cheating (I don’t recall having much of a say in this). So over the years we built the best tree fortress I could ever imagine in a thicket of bay trees. Our domain had several entry points– two fir trees stood at the lower end of the slope thicket, so the first way in was to climb the fir trees and risk sap stuck to fingers and clothes. The main entry point was a series of bay trees several branches and platforms away from the firs. This led to the bulk of the living area, and linked to a set of branches that could be used as a seat, in a where I would spend much of my time (this was a great place to read, and also a good lookout point). The main area was also linked to a secondary area, which was ideal for spying on the neighbors (fyi to everyone who ever lived in the Hogan/ guest house). The link between the two areas was a single pole of douglas fir, about four inches in diameter, which we would use like a balance beam. I can only now, in retrospect, understand the concern of visitors watching small children scamper across beams and branches without a care in the world.

The last fortress I remember building was on a hill, in the northern California brush. Since our underground tunnels never came to fruition, we cut tunnels in the brush– continually expanding, improving, and adding passageways. We created a maze, which we knew so well that we would take different routes and race each other to predetermined destinations. This last fortress we created late– I was probably 11 or 12 when we did it, and I remember thinking we should have done it earlier. Those tunnels were thing of beauty.

In retrospect, the common thread to our forts seem to have been a combination of living quarters and protection from enemies. I’m not sure why we were so focused on always having escape hatches and ways to foil anyone who might be chasing us, but I do know that if it had ever happened, our assailants would never have had a chance. It makes me smile to think that in the end, Mahito’s most formidable opponents were those who managed to achieve the underground tunnels we never could: the ground-squirrels.

Aiwa

This weekend, at our SBR memorial service for Mahito at the park, we all gathered on the trail to pay our last respects. My youngest son, Bear as Ma called him, was so like Mahito as a child. According to Mahito, he didn’t like clothing, …and almost never wore shoes. He was busy exploring and curious to touch and climb anything and everything. That is our Bear. Will be bare footed out in the dirt, no matter how rocky the terrain. Bear LOVED Mahito. He ran to him every time we saw him, and would start shouting his name the second he would spot Mahito’s truck anywhere. So, on Sunday, we all gathered together to have our service. As we stood there waiting to begin, silence fell over all of us. Bear looked around and with big eyes looked up to me and asked in a worried voice, “Mommy! Where Maheedo?” He is just 4 years old, and quite big for his age. But not really past his stage of autonomy. So, for him to have asked at that exact moment, when everyone could hear him, was divine. My family and I miss him so much. He was so much to all of us. My oldest son, Chrish, proudly told everyone at the gathering this weekend that Mahito took him on his first black diamond and Mahito is “the whole reason [he] rides so much better than [his] mom.”

I never would be holding on to pain, just to have something to hold onto. But, that is exactly what I find myself doing. Holding onto the pain left by his untimely death, just because it’s the last tangible thing I have of him.

Anne, you raised an incredible man. So beloved by so many, it is unfathomable to most. Knowing all the ways he connected with my kids, especially Bear, gives me such hope that I too, one blessed day, might have also raised such a child into a man.

Kendra Middleton Williams

When we were kids, Mahito & I (and eventually Aiki) would head out into the woods in search of the perfect Christmas tree. The perfect Christmas tree had to be symmetric, with evenly spaced branches, and no gaping holes that would require creative decoration to disguise. It would take us hours, and we would wander through ravines, up and down tree-covered hillsides and dense thickets search of the right one.

We always found one. And on our way home we would search for a fallen tree to take the top off of– We would take that mangled, asymmetric top to present to our parents as “the perfect Christmas tree.” We always did our best to convince them that this one was it, before revealing our actual perfect tree. I don’t think we ever fooled them, so I’m not sure why we kept trying but at some point it started to feel like tradition.

Mahito would trim the bottom few branches, set up the tree, (make several wreaths, hand carve some decorations, bake some cookies– darn overachiever) and we would decorate. No time of year felt quite as magical as the moment when the Christmas tree lights came on for the first time.

Aiwa

Mahito was always up to volunteer and help us out at the race track…. He worked with the SCRAMP IT Department this summer doing technical repairs under Jeremy Staab. So if Laguna Seca can do anything to help with Mahitopalooza, PLEASE let me know. Here at the track we will miss the big man for sure.

from George Krieger

Today was a day Mahito dreamed of having. A huge bbq, tables of food, sushi, beer, kids, a bounce house, sunshine, music and all of the people he cared about. I am honored to have him in my life and will strive to carry on the kind and generous way he lived his life. I am home now in a house filled with his memories…, his voice, his laugh, his creations…his home away from home. Remembrance by Mindy Gularte Carpenter, photo by Joel Stuckey

The last time I met Mahito was almost 6 years ago, the night before Yang’s final day. I had not seen him for a long time. I was really surprised that he became a strong and very nice guy. I had to look up at him because he was much taller than me. I could not believe my eyes and I asked him, “Are you Mahito? Aren’t you? Do you remember me?” He gave me a big smile.

I have a lot of happy memories of the Mendocino mountains. Mahito took us fishing to the river. He picked mushrooms and taught us which one is for food or poison with his botanical book. He showed us how to climb the big tree and jumped from branch to branch like Tarzan.

The best memory that I cannot forget is Mahito, Aiwa and Aiki making a very good banana cake for our wedding. It was a wonderful gift for us.

I miss him very much, but I believe that he goes to Shinkai guided by Goi Sensei, Yang-san, and other friends

Thank you, Mahito

Shirako Mahito san So ku Kami nari.

Infinite peace, Katsuhiko Nishida

I never had a chance to sit and talk with you so I wanted to take a moment to let you know what Mahito meant to our family. We loved him so much and have so many wonderful memories. He spent a lot of time at our home with our two boys. Some days, it was almost like we had three boys. They would wrestle and tackle each other until we just knew someone was going to pee their pants. Most of the time, he carried them upside down by their feet while they screamed. He completed our crazy family and I hope he knew that. So many times he just knew the right things to say or the perfect moment for a surprise visit. He visited us every summer when we went camping. He could never quite fit on the little beds in our trailer, but we always made it work!

Most importantly, he was the rock for my husband, Chris. They were like two peas in a pod. Every two weeks, the three of us would meet for lunch and without hesitation, he would order for Chris. He knew what he wanted to drink, how he liked the seasonings and how he wanted the dishes cooked. I swear some times that they were husband and husband. They had lunch together just about every day. Their favorite hang out was Costco so they could eat those big polish dogs and have a soda. He always told Chris where he was going for the weekend so that he wouldn’t worry.

When he broke his ankle, he called Chris and said “Hey, I hurt my ankle and it’s pretty swollen. Just thought you should know.” Chris picked him up and took him to the ER. Sure enough, it was broken. We tried and tried to get him to stay here with us and when that wasn’t going to happen, we tried to get him to at least stay downstairs for a few days. That didn’t happen either.

When he broke his leg, he called Chris again. I could tell just from the first few of his words that it was going to be another trip to the ER. Chris took him in again and brought the big guy back with his crutches and supply of pain meds that he said he didn’t need. “It’s not that bad!”

He taught our boys how to catch lizards with a blade of grass, which mushrooms not to eat, to always wear your helmet and that it is okay to get dirty. He taught me that it is okay for the boys to be loud, climb trees, throw rocks and get dirty.

Words can not describe how important he is to our family. I just wanted you to know that we did our best to take care of him. He was part of our family. As I go through our house, I see him in everything from the fence he built around the house, to the work he and Chris did in the garage, to the tile he helped us pick out for the floor in our kitchen and dining room. He is everywhere and I love that.

Thank you so much for sharing Mahito with our family. He meant the world to us. ♥

One last thing you should know about Mahito. He was always so respectful around me and our children. Not once did he ever use foul language or speak negatively about anyone or anything. So many people forget that children are always watching and listening, but he never did. He was such a positive role model for our boys. You should be so very proud.

I miss him terribly yet I can feel him around us always. Thank you again for your sweet son.

Mindy Gularte Carpenter

Steps toward a Mahito Shirako Scholarship have been/are being taken. Although the applicants are going to have a hard time meeting the application requirements! Filling the shoes of a big ass half japanese, half german, dirt-bike riding, sushi loving, turkey-frying beast of a man can’t be too easy!

Greg Hamer

I don’t remember the first time I met Mahito, but it was in ’98. I ended up in one of his friend circles in the oddest way. After high school I was in the Navy and after that I went to UC Davis. I was miserable there and most of my friends were gone so one of my best friends from high school invited me to his roommates house party in Marina. His roommate being the now Jennifer Schaefer. I loved it there so much I came down regularly… Sometimes every weekend. Mahito was often around but the first time I really remember him was when he climbed the stairs in his roller blades. We were all quite hung over drooling at the tv when the most awful noise started up the stairs. Of course we all had a good laugh when we realized what it was. He came in clopped around the house in those things and even did the broom trick in them. There is a picture of it somewhere. Jen probably has it.

Do you know this trick? I learned it from him and have done it for years… Often drunk and racing someone else… But never on roller blades. It is when you take a broom (or pool cue) and hold it in front of you both hands attached… It is tough to describe but you basically put your whole body through without letting go.

He always made us laugh, even when hung over.

At the Halloween party (right after 9/11) he came dressed in all black and a black trench coat. He also wore a turbin. If you asked him what he was he opened the trench coat flasher style and had two things taped to the inside of his coat. On one side – a box cutter, on the other – a magazine looking book titled – “how to fly an airplane”. He was a terrorist… Only Mahito could pull that off. Emotions still ran high over the incident, but he had such a soothing nature about him, he pulled it off and made us all laugh. He had the goatee for that occasion too!

Love him!

Smiles,
Missy Locketz

In Memory of Mahito Shirako

Mahito came into my life over a dozen years ago when he was a freshman at CSUMB. He became involved with Otter Days as a student facilitator and he took courses in the Outdoor Recreation program where he got certified to SCUBA dive. He also took courses I taught in Wilderness Leadership.

He was tall, slender and wore a goofy grin much of the time. He was endlessly energetic, curious, optimistic, kind, caring and generous.

He was “an outdoorsman’s outdoorsman” and had a great love of Nature and adventure. He was 1 of only 2 people I knew who actually enjoyed hiking in pouring rain hunting wild mushrooms.

Mahito also had a great sense of humor. He loved to tell stories too, and if the story was funny then all the better. Usually I knew when he was going to tell a funny story because he’d laugh to himself a little at first and then often start off by saying; “You wouldn’t believe what Bryan did…”

It was my pleasure to have been not only a teacher of Mahito’s but also his friend. Over the years I watched him transform from a slightly goofy teenager who knew the world was his oyster into a much less goofy adult who knew the world was not just his oyster, but his abalone, venison, crab, crawdads and anything else edible too.

At CSUMB Mahito found his home, his community and the life he wanted and so enjoyed living.

It’s hard to believe that just a short while ago he was sitting on the couch in my living room laughing and telling stories. And now he’s gone.

Just as no parent wishes their child to precede them in leaving this world no teacher wants this of a student either. He left us much too soon. But he left us with a message.
The message is that life is precious. That none of us know how long we’ll live. And to make everyday an adventure. What good is it to have lived 100 years if you never left the couch and TV? Mahito knew the secret to a good life, which is to live fully making every day count, and that he did.

I’m honored to say that I was his friend.

– Robert Alexander

Dear friends,

Thank you again for making Mahito’s bye-bye party so wonderful. My family was overwhelmed twice in the past week and a half—first by Mahito’s sudden passing, and then by the overflowing of help and support we received from Mahito’s many, many friends. We love you all. I know that Saturday probably wasn’t what is generally expected of a memorial service, but for us, there was never a question of what Mahito would have wanted. And on that note, you came, you made it happen, and you left us so grateful for the many wonderful friends Mahito had.

To all of Mahito’s friends, I want you all to feel free to contact us—we’d love to see pictures, videos, and hear mahito memories, or you can just say hi (email: ashirako(at)gmail). We would also love to see some of these pictures & memories posted to the mahitoforever site (email the admin or me for the password). As Mahito’s little sister, I would especially encourage stories that make Mahito seem silly or ridiculous. Laughter just might heal the world.

Lots of love to all,
Aiwa

Also, my favorite video Mahito:
Mahito & Crawdads

Posted on behalf of Seika Shirako, Mahito`s father

Text from the reading:

HOW MAN SHOULD REVEAL HIS INNER SELF

Man is originally a spirit from God, and not a karmic existence.

He lives under the constant guidance and protection provided by his Guardian Deities and Guardian Spirits.

All of man’s sufferings are caused when his wrong thoughts conceived during his past lives up to the present manifest in this world in the process of fading away.

Any affliction, once it has taken shape in this phenomenal world, is destined to vanish into nothingness.

Therefore, you should be absolutely convinced that your sufferings will fade away and that from now on your life with be happier.

Even in any difficulty, you should forgive yourself and forgive others; love yourself and love others.

You should always perform the acts of love, sincerity and forgiveness and thank your Guardian Deities and Guardian Spirits for their protection and pray for the peace of the world.

This will enable you as well as mankind to realize enlightenment.

The three things Seika taught his Children:

1. Don`t bother people (Ed: this sounds less abrupt in Japanese. –Aiwa)

2. Take care of your own business.

3. Help others if you have extra energy.

Prayer for the peace of the world

May peace prevail on earth.

May peace be in our homes and countries.

May our missions be accomplished. (May Mahito Shirako`s missions be accomplished)

We thank you, Guardian Deities and Guardian Spirits.

Seika Shirako

If one calls 582-5201 there is a voice mail where Mahito says his name.

I know this will not bring him back, but hearing his voice may be worthwhile.

From Don Kiser (one of Mahito’s day-to-day co-workers and former lead)

A couple of pictures that you might want to post, I would but don’t know how.  Mahito was a friend to every living thing.  One day Mahito and myself were walking past the back of bldg 47 and heard something in the dumpster.  Upon looking we saw 2 raccoons trapped.  Mahito went back to 41 and picked up a ladder which he placed in the dumpster.  Then the grand exit! – Don Kiser

Mahito Shirako (1979 – 2010)

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thecalifornian/obituary.aspx?n=mahito-shirako&pid=146562080

Mahito Shirako, 31, of Marina, passed away Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010, as a result of a tragic dirt biking accident while riding in the Hollister Hills.
He was born June 25, 1979. Mahito was a graduate of CSUMB in 2005. He worked as an AV Specialist at CSUMB, which he considered his home. He loved theater and often took on jobs helping out for various productions, including Reggae on the River, Reggae Risings, the Sierra Music Festival, and TED.
Mahito is survived by his mother, Anne of Upper Lake; his father, Seika of Tokyo, Japan; his sister, Aiwa of New York City, N.Y.; his brother, Aiki of Santa Barbara, and numerous close family and friends.
Celebration of Life: From noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, in the field behind his home. A website has been set up to honor his memory: www.mahitoforever.com. Parking is limited, so please check the website for shuttle options.
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the CSUMB Mahito Shirako Scholarship Fund – go to http://csumb.edu/give, click “donate now” and complete the form including the name “Mahito Shirako” in the remarks section.

Hello,

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for sharing their love and experiences in this forum. The staff and volunteers at Hollister Hills have been significantly impacted by Mahito’s death and a lot of us have been glued to this thread hoping to get just “one more picture” or just “one more story”. Thank you for sharing in such an open and honest way and helping us to find some hope in working through this tragedy.

I know there are many questions around our recent loss of Mahito. I am also writing in an effort to at least answer some of those questions about the event itself. It is a little unconventional that we would share these details but I believe everyone on this forum deserves to have as much information as we can provide at this time. We are still investigating the accident and it may be a number of weeks before the completed report is available to the public. Because this is very preliminary it will be light on details. Here is what we know to be the facts:

•Mahito exited the main road onto Harmony Gate (more or less westbound) and collided with a tree less than 300 feet after he exited. The tree was on the left hand side and he some how ended up in Lodge Lake.

•Mahito was conscious, alert (we call it “times 4”) and breathing when the first two good Samaritans arrived to help him.

•Mahito told the people helping him that he believed his accelerator had gotten stuck. He had also been recently working on the clutch according to friends.

•As part of the investigation we will have a certified mechanic examine the bike.

•Mahito was in the water and then extricated by friends, volunteers, rangers, lifeguards and strangers.

•Mahito was pronounced dead at Hazel Hawkins hospital but I believe his spirit stayed here at Hollister Hills.

This is a tragic loss, and like many of you, words escape me. Mahito was a kind soul and he had a huge heart, we may never know the limits of how he affected people or changed their lives forever. Allowing all of us to read the stories, see the pictures, and feel his warmth has been a great help to me personally and to all of the staff here at the park. I only wish that some of the people that try to close down places like Hollister Hills could have known Mahito or would at least read this thread… I know he would have planted a seed with all of them that eventually would grow into understanding and belief in what we love.

Jeff Gaffney
District Superintendent
Hollister Hills
(831)637-8186
jgaffney@parks.ca.gov

Friends, coworkers and family of Mahito Shirako, a CSUMB alumnus and employee who died Sunday, Nov. 7, in a motorcycle accident, have organized both a Celebration of Life barbecue and a scholarship fund to honor his memory. In addition, grief support services will be provided from noon to 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15, in the Teledramatic Arts and Technology building.

Celebration of Life barbecue
The barbecue will be held at noon Saturday, Nov. 13, in a large field behind Mahito’s home at 726 Henson Court, off of Abrams Drive in the Schoonover Park area of East Campus housing. The campus community is welcome at this potluck event, and guests are encouraged to bring a side dish if possible.

Shuttle service provided
This event is expected to be well attended. Because parking near the event is limited, shuttle service will be provided to and from Henson Court beginning from the parking lot at the corner of Inter-Garrison Road and Seventh Avenue. The service will run from noon until the event concludes Please use this shuttle to avoid disruption of parking and traffic in Schoonover Park.
No funeral service is planned.

Memorial scholarship fund
With the agreement of the Shirako family, a Memorial Scholarship account has been established in Mahito’s memory at California State University, Monterey Bay. For anyone who wishes to make a donation in Mahito’s name:
• Mail a check made out to “University Corporation” with “Mahito Shirako” written on the remarks line on the lower left front of the check and mailed to University Advancement, 100 Campus Center, Seaside, CA 93955-8001.
• Online at CSUMB.edu/give, click “Donate Now” and complete the form including the name “Mahito Shirako” in the remarks section.
• For Direct Bank Account Donations, CSU payroll deductions or recurring credit card deductions, please contact Ms. Jennifer Martinez at jenmartinez@csumb.edu or (831)582-3070.
The family encourages people to make a donation in lieu of flowers.

Friends of Mahito are sharing their stories in other places too (get your tissues ready before using some of these links):

http://www.southbayriders.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102375

http://www.southbayriders.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102365

Images Mahito posted to South Bay Riders

http://www.jasonleveque.com/2010/11/i-remember.html

Mahito on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mahito/

Mahito on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/mahito

Mahito on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mahitos

Please share your Mahito related links as a comment below.

With support from the Shirako family, a Memorial Scholarship account has been established in Mahito’s honor at California State University, Monterey Bay. For anyone who wishes to make a donation in Mahito’s name:

• Mail a check made out to “University Corporation” with “Mahito Shirako” written on the remarks line on the lower left front of the check and mailed to University Advancement, 100 Campus Center, Seaside, CA 93955-8001.
• Online at CSUMB.edu/give, click “Donate Now” and complete the form
  including the name “Mahito Shirako” in the remarks section.
• For Direct Bank Account Donations, CSU payroll deductions or recurring credit card deductions, please contact Ms. Jennifer Martinez at jenmartinez@csumb.edu or (831)582-3070.

The family encourages people to make a donation in lieu of flowers.

Not sure where to start. I’ve known Mahito for almost 10 years. I have all kinds of fond memories of Ren Faire, sitting in his backyard, laughing with him, working with him on projects at work. When I got engaged to my fiance and started figuring out who I wanted to be in my wedding Mahito was my very first choice to be a groomsman because of our friendship.

I was reading other peoples posts and wanted to share a story about an evening I spent with him. After work one day he grabbed me and told me we were going to the beach in Carmel for a bonfire and some of his other friends were going to catch up with us. He wanted to teach me more about photography and doing cool things with my camera I had just gotten a few months ago. We went to the beach in Carmel and made a bonfire.We spent the time until after sunset playing with our cameras taking pictures and sharing our ideas on what worked to make some really spectacular pictures. This is one of those pictures that Mahito staged:

Mahito was an awesome friend, teacher, co-worker. Along with everyone else I will miss him terribly, but I know Heaven has a new Angel. Godspeed my friend.

-Paul Hall

I don’t have many grandiose stories of Mahito, but I do have memories.

I ended up meeting Mahito when he was an RA in building 201.  He was definitely a different guy back then, but his attitude was infectious.  He was also just as crazy.  I remember him and Bryan Schaefer running around climbing trees and looking for odd mushrooms.  I’ll still never forget the time we all went out to the beach in the middle of the night to slide down the sand slopes.  Never liked climbing back up, and I never did remember what beach we went to, but hey, we had fun.

Imagine my surprise when the straight-laced RA does an about face and I find a structurally-sound stripper pole in his living room a few years later.  And I do mean structurally sound.  But the attitude was still the same, merely stripped away of all the structure from having to do advisory…uh…stuff.

The last time I ran into the big guy was at the supermarket.  I was telling him what I was doing with my life and hoped to run into again.  That was probably four months ago.  I had hoped to run into him again since.  Looks like I may have to wait a while longer.

Mahito, you’re a true inspiration, and the standing-room-only-get-together at the pub was proof of that.  It makes me want to fight harder than ever.  We’ll all miss you.

-Will

-The first time I met you, you had dyed your hair to look like a ladybug 🙂
-Our many hiking adventures on the Big Sur River
-The time there was a little green lizard that was too close to the
trail so you fashioned a lasso out of a long piece of grass, looped it
around the lizard’s foot on the first try and moved him to a safer
branch.
-Our first “official” date
-The best college parties. Ever.
-The fact that you put a stripper pole in your apt just because someone
said they’d dance on it if you had one (and that you had all the
necessary tools & supplies in your garage!)

-The way you got all embarrassed when your mom showed me the pic & newspaper article from when you were 16 & went to Kobe, Japan to work as a volunteer after the earthquake
-Drinking too many of your awesome shots/cocktails
-Your amazingly huge, comfy bean bag
-Your culinary skills
-Your big bear hugs
-Your infectious grin and laugh
-Your generous spirit

Love you, big guy. I’ll always miss you.

~Jill Bagley-Azevedo

What: Celebration of Life Event for Mahito Shirako.

When: Saturday, November 13th, Noon

Where: Grassy area behind 726 Henson Court, Marina CA 93933

Please join us and share your favorite Mahito stories and memories. It will be a potluck, so please bring a side dish if you are able.

Shuttle Service/Parking: We have arranged shuttle service between CSUMB and the celebration and recommend that everyone use this service.  Shuttle service will start at noon and leave/return from the parking lot at the corner of Inter-Garrison and 7th Avenue:

Google Map to shuttle location

There is very limited street parking on Henson Court, Parking Lot D on the corner of Henson and Schoonover and Lot C on the corner of White and Schoonover.

Memorial Scholarship Fund: The family setup a scholarship fund through CSUMB. We are asking that donations be given to the scholarship fund in lieu of flowers.

Weather: Current forecast calls for a high of 70 on Saturday, but weather can change quickly around here, so we recommend you dress in layers.

I like to imagine that Mahito will be with every new biker/motorcyclist who is excited, terrified, or nervous before his/her first ride. He will be the wind wrapping around them, running through their hair as they experience the joy of flying down the road on their newest love.  In this picture I see him as he gets up and walks away from that crash.

Mahito, I am so glad to have known you. You are an inspiration and I can only hope to have half as fulfilling a life you had. All my love to you and your family.

~Heather

Once upon a time, on the Monterey Bay, Myrsha and I got stuck out in the artichoke fields looking for the best view of a very full moon. It had been raining for days before we headed out on our adventure… and little did we know the fields were still giant mud puddles. Once we were all but firmly set and up to our axels in good ol Monterey County soil with no where run and no where to hide… and after AAA couldn’t figure out where we were — Mahito came to our rescue… On his valiant steed (a very efficient truck indeed) …he pulled us out of the mud, while he also managed to retrieve (and clean) my mud boots that had been tossed out after my failed efforts to push my jeep free. Cheerz Mahito… for being a girl’s knight in shining armor, among many many wonderful things. I still owe you homemade mac n cheese! Here is to the next time we see you. Love you long time… Monique & Myrsha

Mahito-Dancing

This is one HAPPY guy and I know he’s dancin’ in the flames wherever he is now.  The world is a much richer place because of what he brought and shared every day with everyone he met…  Big shoes for us all to fill in the future…  God Bless.

Steven Mann

The most fun I ever had in a single weekend had to be our trip to Pismo in 2007. Mahito loaded up the truck with wood and we set out to camp on the beach all weekend. It was a wild weekend in the sand, I remember Mahito drove my truck around a bit and showed me that I could easily go down a sand dune of any size, my fright quickly turned to sheer joy. After that it was a crazy night of explosive holes and all sorts of unmentionables – followed by a foggy day of reinflating tires and heading home. We made it in-and-out but the diesel wouldn’t start; Mahito to the rescue! I’ll treasure these memories always and he will be missed greatly. A few other pictures are here  http://picasaweb.google.com/windowsxpguru/Pismo2007#
–brian smith

We created this wordpress blog to allow us to share our favorite memories. Mahito was a great friend to us all and I know we all have great stories and pictures to share, feel free to use it as you see fit. It will be here forever.

For access, check Mahito’s facebook page or email admin@mahitoforever.com