John Oda Obituary (1932 – 2022) – El Cerrito, CA

John Oda
July 1, 1932 – December 21, 2022
John S. Oda was born July 1, 1932, in Santa Barbara, CA, the oldest of four children. In 1943, John and his family were relocated to Gila River, Arizona, as part of the incarceration of Japanese-Americans into prison camps. After the war his family migrated to Long Beach, California, where they lived in government trailers, and his dad developed a gardening service.
Following his graduation from high school, John worked with his father in the gardening business and then enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 19. He was stationed for a number of years in Las Vegas, where he learned to enjoy poker and attended shows. He also…