Dennis K. Kamano

GALESBURG --- Dennis Koshiro Kamano, 85, of Galesburg died Friday, May 16, 2014 at his home. He was born September 23, 1928 in Honolulu, Hawaii, the son of Ginjiro and Sakai Nishida Kamano. He married Ann Wisshack on April 13, 1962. He is survived by his wife Ann of Galesburg, his son John of Galesburg, his daughter Jennifer of Monmouth, and by his sister Patsy (Asae) Mau of Pearl City, Hawaii, as well as numerous nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, June (Sawano) Iijima and Harriet (Noriko) Fukumoto; and three brothers, Douglas (Kiichi), Harry (Suburo), and Richard (Tsugio). He attended Nebraska Wesleyan University for his bachelor’s degree and the University of Denver for his Ph.D. in Psychology. He served in the United States Army for two years during the Korean Conflict. His career was spent as an employee of the State of Illinois where he served 28 years with Galesburg State Research Hospital, later known as Galesburg Mental Health Center, and two years at Zellar Mental Health Center in Peoria for a total of 30 years serving the mentally ill and developmentally disabled. At Research Hospital he played several successive roles including studies of psychotropic drugs on behavior and learning in laboratory rats, clinical psychologist, intern supervisor, head of the Psychology Department, Program Director, and lastly, Superintendant. He liked to take long walks where he often ended up at the Galesburg Public Library, obtaining the New York Times crossword puzzle and checking out novels. Every Saturday he would be found listening to the Metropolitan Opera on the radio. Yearly he could be found volunteering for the Galesburg Civic Art Center’s “Art in the Park.” Twice a year he went fishing with his wife, Ann, at Seagull Lake located in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness near Grand Marais, Minnesota. A visitation will be held on Saturday, July 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Kamano family home in the form of a buffet luncheon. Friends are welcome. Expressions of sympathy may be given to the family at www.watsonthomas.com.