In 1988 Kathy Toy was living in Tokyo and taking Ohara Ikebana lessons every day. During her residence there ikebana became a consuming passion, combining her lifelong interest in design and plant materials.  She returned to the USA and continued her studies in Rochester, NY and Cleveland, OH.  Every few years she also traveled to Tokyo for lessons.  She moved to her current home in San Jose in 2000 and in 2005 began her continuing studies with Ohara Grand Master Kayoko Suiyo Fujimoto.  Kathy is an Associate First Degree Master of Ohara Ikebana.

Ms. Toy’s ikebana affiliations are many and her service to the art is noteworthy.  She has served as a founding board member of the North American Ohara Teachers Association and has held board positions for the Ohara School of Ikebana Northern California Chapter, Ikebana International, and the Ikebana Teachers Federation.  She currently edits English translations for Ohara School’s magazines Kikyo, Soka, and other publications.

She has presented demonstrations and exhibits at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, Hakone Gardens, Fioli, the San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival, and for Ikebana International in California, New York, and Florida.

Born in Kentucky and raised there and in Colorado, Kathy accompanied her husband to both Tokyo and two years in the Phillippines when his work took them there.  She was educated at Michigan State University with a degree in Interior Design and did graduate work at the University of Central Florida in English Literature.  She took further study of Mechanical Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology.  For 30 years she worked as an Interior Designer until her retirement in 1996.