Kenji Suzuki

Kenji Suzuki was released from his earthly mission on September 8, 2020, surrounded by his beloved family.

He was born to Toshikazu and Chieko Hasebe Suzuki on June 30, 1948, in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. He married Rebecca Sue Tolman on March 24, 1970 in Nagoya, Japan and they were sealed on June 21, 1971 in the Salt Lake Temple.

He is survived by his wife, and three children: Kazi (Kara), Haruka, and Chiyomi (Don) Bjelde; and four grandchildren: Cecil, Momo, Kimiko, and Kazuyoshi, and his younger brother, Ikuo (Setsuko) Hasebe. He was preceded in death by son Yoshinori, brother Toshiyuki, and his parents.

He earned his Masters degree in Linguistics with a minor in teaching English as a second language. He worked in the Genealogical Department of the Church as a cataloguer, on the pilot program of computer genealogy/family history, in the Information Systems & Communications Department of the Church, and in the Church’s Acquisitions Department.

He served in 3 bishoprics and was a Bishop, high councilman, twice, and stake executive secretary. He served as Japan Tokyo South Mission President from 1999-2002. He and Becky served as ministering missionaries in the Japan Nagoya Mission from 2017-2019.

He used his excellent bilingual gifts as an instructor, translator, tour guide, and counselor sharing his testimony and understanding of the gospel.

He was a man of service, a true disciple of Jesus Christ, a friend to all he met, and had a genuine love for others, always putting the needs of others before his own. He was a mentor and father figure to many, and found pure joy in seeing all of his children, biological or chosen, grow and succeed. He enjoyed gardening, parades, fireworks, and capturing memories in photographs. He loved his grandchildren, and enjoyed spending as much time as possible with them.

We express our deep gratitude to the University of Utah Hospital and CNS teams for their care of him during his last days of mortal life.

Private graveside services, by invitation only, will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, September 19, 2020 at the Bountiful City Cemetery.

Services will be livestreamed on ZOOM at https://samaritan.zoom.us/j/97823175132