Thomas Masami Miyake

We are sad to announce the passing of Thomas Masami Miyake on June 14, 2023. Tom suffered from renal failure and was at peace with his death. Tom was born on March 24, 1943, and died at home surrounded by loving family and his wife of 35 years, Stephanie Miyake.

Tom was born and raised on a 160-acre farm in Alamosa, Colorado as the second child of Mitsumasa and Kimiye (Yoshida) Miyake. He graduated as student body president from Alamosa High School in 1961 and earned his Bachelor of Education from Adams State College in Alamosa with a major in vocal music and a minor in mathematics. He went on to earn his Master of Music degree from Adams State in 1972 and a Doctor of Musical Arts in 1985 from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music.

Tom Miyake was an accomplished choral conductor, whose greatest professional strength was building choral programs. Early in his career, he built high school choral programs in the greater Denver area, including inaugurating the renowned Meistersingers at Cherry Creek High School. Throughout his career, he built community choirs, starting with the Cherry Creek Chorale in the greater Denver area and concluding with the Robson Chorale in his Denton, Texas retirement community. Dr. Miyake spent most of his career teaching at California State University–Los Angeles, where he developed a Master of Music in Choral Conducting program and started multiple new choirs.

Former students shared that “Mr. Miyake’s” biggest impact came from the travel that he did with his choirs. He took more than 20 high school and undergraduate choirs on concert tours from 1970 onwards throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico, China, and Japan. Over his career he led choirs at seven different schools: Sheridan High School (Denver), Cherry Creek High School (Greenwood Village, CO), Overland High School (Aurora, CO), University of Missouri–Kansas City, University of Arkansas–Little Rock, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, and California State University–Los Angeles. Tom’s impact as a teacher and musician was recognized by receiving the Colorado Award for Outstanding Teacher (Cherry Creek Schools) in 1982 and the Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music in 2000. Tom also leaves a legacy of dozens of former students who are music educators across the country.

Tom loved playing games. He taught his kids Monopoly, Risk, backgammon, squeak, gin, and rummy. He loved to play computer solitaire, video poker, and blackjack. He was an accomplished Go player, achieving the rank of three dan in the 1980s. However, his biggest passion was duplicate bridge, where he earned the rank of bronze life master. After learning the game from his sister in college, he played regularly throughout his life and ramped up his game in the last 20 years. In retirement, he found joy in teaching and mentoring players who were looking to improve their game. He was especially invested in the Denton, Texas bridge community, where he made many friends and played a lot of good bridge with a wide range of partners.

In addition to his wife, Stephanie, Tom is survived by daughters (with Gail Nuttall Miyake Sindelar) Jan Miyake (Josh Levy) and Diann Mazingo (Kevin); step-children Chris O’Steen (Lynsie), Lance Biggers (Erin Brunner), and Amber De Anda (Ben); eleven grandchildren Andrew Mazingo (Paige), Christina Mazingo-Denton (Kat), Helen Levy, Gabi Levy, Alice Levy, Kylie O’Steen, Matthew O’Steen, Addison O’Steen, Brooke O’Steen, Mikayla De Anda, and Zachary De Anda; sister Florence Newlin; nephew Gary Newlin; and niece Kimberly Wylie (Mike).

In lieu of flowers, the family requests you make donations to

https://marfan.org/