Amy passed away peacefully at Southwood Hospice during the early morning of March 1st at the age 88 years. Thus ended a life filled with pioneering accomplishments, worldwide travels and adventures and unique experiences. Amy was born and raised in Calgary. Her parents, Sho (Joseph) and Kiyoka (Alice) Okazaki, had immigrated to Canada from Japan in 1917 and 1928 respectively, settling in Calgary where they raised their three children. Amy was the middle child between her older brother Albert and younger brother Abraham (Abe or Abie).  Amy was a dedicated and highly respected educator. A gifted student herself, she began her teaching career at age 17 as one of the youngest and perhaps the first person of Asian background in the history of the Calgary School Board. During her lengthy career Amy was an elementary school classroom teacher, vice-principal and reading clinician specialist. Through studies at what was then referred to as "summer school" and during sabbaticals, she earned four university degrees: BEd (U of Alberta), BA (UBC), MA (U of Hawaii), and MA (Columbia University). To this day Amy is still remembered by many former students as a favourite and outstanding teacher who literally changed their lives for the better. Amy was a trailblazer in other ways as well. She took up golf and skiing at a time when such activities were considered rather risqué for young women. She traveled endlessly around the world, leaving her footprints and imprints of a bold and spirited woman on every continent except Antarctica. She ventured behind the Iron Curtain in the 1960's, viewed the northern lights in Canada's Arctic, visited the pyramids along the Nile, and fell in love with her ancestral roots in Japan where she spent a year teaching at a famous elementary school in Tokyo, attended the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and returned many times thereafter. Everywhere she traveled she acquired memories, both visual and tangible, sometimes shipping home her souvenirs not in her luggage but in crates. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that one would be hard pressed to name a country, some souvenir of which could not be found somewhere in her home. Perhaps Amy's curiosity and sense of adventure were genetic as her parents also loved to travel. Late in their lives her parents explored Europe and a favourite photo shows her mother at age 80 riding an elephant in Thailand on one of her many trips with Amy. Amy also shared her passion for travel with her friends and colleagues, leading tour groups to South America and Japan and persuading a friend or two to accompany her to exotic distant destinations. At home in Calgary Amy was a very active member of the Japanese Canadian community, participating in its organizations and activities. She and her mother were among the founders of Kotobuki, an organization that provides fellowship and numerous activities for senior members of the community. Amy's ongoing connections with and interest in Japan led to her role as an enthusiastic volunteer at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, helping to host the Japanese teams and officials. Amy is survived by her brother Abe and his wife Zsuzsanna of Vancouver, BC; her nephew Dustin, his wife Mailis and their children Lucie and Léo of Geneva, Switzerland; her niece Ashley, her husband Jeff Zeilstra and their children Summer, Nolan and Layla of South Surrey, BC; and her sister-in-law Arden Okazaki of Deep River, ON. Thank you to Dr. Dennis Kreptul, Dr. Catherine McKenna, and the staffs of Scenic Acres Retirement Residence, Units 62 and 42 of Foothills Hospital, and Southwood Hospice for their kind and compassionate care of Amy. A Celebration of Life will be held at a date to be announced.