Mitsuko (Uechi) St. Thomas

Mitsuko St. Thomas, 91, passed away peacefully on November 15, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. There will be no public services, and private interment will be held at NY State Veteran’s Cemetery – Finger Lakes at the convenience of her family. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory may be directed to Pathway Home of the Finger Lakes, PO Box 516, Seneca Falls, NY 13148.

Mitsuko Uechi was born in Okinawa, Japan on September 11, 1934. She was raised by her grandfather and her “wonderful, wonderful” grandmother, Takeichi and Kamado Uechi. Mitsuko survived the horrors of WWII on her tiny island home as a child, enduring homelessness, hunger, and capture. After the war, Mitsuko was finally able to return to school, which she highly valued. Regretfully, her formal education ended after eighth grade when she started working to help to support her grandparents. She saved what little money she could to purchase her very first sewing machine, a prized possession she used daily for several years.

Mitsuko met her husband, Joseph St. Thomas, in Okinawa when she was working on one of the military bases and they married in 1957. She then traveled to the United States with her husband and two young daughters in 1959. By 1962, Mitsuko was raising four young children, often on her own, when her husband was stationed overseas. She slowly increased her command of the English language and taught herself to read with the help of her beloved sister-in-law, Ollie. Despite the prejudice she encountered when she moved to the US, Mitsuko never lost her sense of kindness and compassion. She embraced her new family and neighbors and found great joy in gifting people with her amazing cooking, baking, and sewing. Above all, Mitsuko found her greatest happiness in raising her children and then caring for her grandchildren. She was enchanted each time a new grandchild was placed into her loving arms and was rewarded by their endless devotion to her. She proudly attended their concerts, performances, and their athletic games, finding perfection in whatever they did. “Oba” will be remembered for her warmth, her intelligence, her determination, her generosity, and her quick wit. She was and will always be the heart of her family.

Mitsuko is survived by her children, Roseanne (Joe) DiVincenzo, Mary (Mike) Midey, Shelia (Peter de Arteaga) St. Thomas, and Joseph St. Thomas. She is also survived by grandchildren Beth Sheehan, Daniel (Caitlyn) DiVincenzo, Colleen (Jake) Kwiatkowski, Sean Roulan, Rachel Midey, Maya St. Sebastian, Elias and Molly St. Thomas, great-grandchildren Brycen, Matthew, Damien, and Amara, as well as many nieces and nephews both in the US and Okinawa. She was predeceased by her husband, Joseph, and sister, Kiyo Chibana.

We would like to thank all of the dedicated, caring, volunteers at Pathway Home and especially care manager, Tammy Smith, for their tireless devotion to our mother during her time there. We are truly grateful.