Kazuko Collister

Kazuko Collister was born June 27, 1932, in Sagamihara, Japan, just outside Tokyo. She was the oldest sibling of seven and the daughter of Hideo and Taki Ohno. Her siblings from the eldest are Hiroshi Ohno, Yasuko Sano (deceased), Miyako Nomura, Tomoe Shimakura, Yoshie Maeda, and Yuko Hamada. Kazuko was the first girl in her family to graduate from a university. After college, the US military employed her as a key punch operator at the Zama Army base. This is where she met her husband Francis H. Collister in 1959. Francis was enlisted in the United States Army. Their first daughter was Alice M. Tabolinsky, born in 1961, followed by a second daughter, Linda L. Collister, in 1963. The family moved to the United States in 1967 to an army base in Maryland. Soon after they moved to Roaring Branch, Pennsylvania, to a family farm. Kazuko attained her United States citizenship in 1976. Green Acres was her favorite show. She could relate moving from Tokyo, Japan to a dairy farm in PA. Kazuko was disciplined in her ways but always found time to have fun. She made sure that the kids never missed a day of school. She would drive a jeep with a flat tire, or through the snow to ensure they went to school. She was an avid artist and cartoonist, decorating the family tractors with show girl paintings. Kazuko made friends quickly. People knew her as Fuji, or Cassie. Kazuko and Francis moved the family several times and ended up in Bloomsburg, PA, where the girls graduated high school. Francis passed away in a car accident on November 4, 1972. Kazuko never remarried. She stayed close with the Collister side of the family until her passing. Kazuko raised two strong daughters. Alice Tabolinsky graduated from Penn State University and joined the Army. She served in Korea and at the Pentagon. Linda Collister graduated from Humboldt State University in California. She was a research oceanographer and moved into the fire service. She retired after 25 years in the fire service as Fire Marshal/Division Chief. She is married to Michael Calcagno, who had a special relationship with Kazuko. Kazuko was very close with her granddaughter Danielle (Tabolinsky) Murr. Alice's husband, Richard Tabolinsky passed away when Danielle was just 5 years old. Kazuko helped raise Danielle while Alice served in the US Army. Kazuko and Danielle were inseparable. Kazuko was later blessed with three beautiful great-grandchildren from Danielle and her husband Andrei Murr. The great-granddaughters are Alexandria (Lexa), Emmalina, and Anika. Kazuko liked to have fun. She was always playing jokes and making funny expressions. She was a devout Buddhist and cared deeply for others, she always helped others in need. Kazuko was able to visit Japan in 2015 and see her siblings and families. Her nephew Masashi Hamada would visit often, so she always had a close connection with her family in Japan. Kazuko was employed by Wise Foods Inc., Berwick for many years. She was a member of the Soka-Gakkai International-US (SGI US). She was a devout Buddhist. She was instrumental in founding the Soka-Gakkai Buddhist Organization in Northeast Pennsylvania. Her mission was to strive for world peace. Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. The Allen Funeral Home, Inc., is honored to be serving the Collister family. Memorial contributions in Kazuko's name are suggested to: The Bloomsburg Children's Museum, 2 West Seventh St., Bloomsburg, PA 17815.

Kazuko Collister

June 27, 1932 - February 27, 2025