Teruko ("Terri") was born in San Diego, CA where she spent the early portion of her childhood. She experienced the major historical events of the early twentieth century —the Great Depression, WWII and Pearl Harbor. At the age of 13, she was taken to Manzanar, the Japanese internment camp, and is one of its last living survivors.

Terri graduated from Taft High School and earned an Associate’s degree in Secretarial Studies in Chicago. She worked as the Secretary of the Admin Assistant to the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches and later in their Audio-Visual Dept.

Though they were both born in San Diego, Terri only got to know Peter Shizume in Chicago during their college years when Moody Church opened their doors to the Japanese American Christian community to meet there for church. They were married at Lakeside Christian Church on February 28, 1953. They moved to Long Island, NY later that year when Peter got a job at Sperry Rand (Unisys) as an electrical engineer. They raised their three children in Hicksville on Long Island and lived there until 2008. The family attended the Hicksville United Methodist Church. Terri worked at St. Stephen's Lutheran and later St. Luke's Lutheran churches as church secretary. The family then moved to Charlotte, NC to be closer to daughter, Ann, when Peter was having health problems.

Terri was very active in the churches in her various hometowns, and she touched the lives of countless people. She had the most generous spirit, and was always willing to help others in times of need. She was dearly loved by her grandchildren, most of whom affectionately called her “Grandma Zumi”. Everywhere she went, from San Diego to Chicago to New York to North Carolina, she impacted countless lives with her selflessness and her caring and compassion for others.

We celebrate her life—a life so very well-lived. Terri is survived by her three children: her son Paul and his wife, Jane (Wainer), her son Timothy and his wife Bonnie (Beal), and her daughter Ann and her husband Tom (Harvey). She also leaves behind eleven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. 

A service in remembrance will be 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28, 2026  at M. L. Ford & Sons Funeral Home, 4820 Charlotte Highway, Lake Wylie, SC.  A visitation for family and friends will be one hour before the service, beginning at 2:30 p.m.

A graveside burial will take place at Pinelawn Memorial Park, 2030 Wellwood Ave, Farmingdale, NY on May 16 at 2:00pm.  

If you wish to send flowers, we can suggest the following local florist - Byrum’s Florist, 2329 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205 (704) 377-3685 - who are friends of the family.

In lieu of flowers please consider memorials to one of Terri’s favorite charities, Operation Christmas Child, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607 https://www.samaritanspurse.org/memorial-page/terri-shizume-charlotte-nc/

M. L. Ford & Sons Funeral Home, Lake Wylie, SC is serving the family.   

There service will be livestreamed, via Zoom:

M.L. Ford & Sons is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Teruko "Terri" Shizume Time of Remembrance
Time: Mar 28, 2026 03:15 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84203578347?pwd=Z2oNZvSewJNStoXvw7fiAVvKIfCpjp.1

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.