Welcoming the New Year

Friday, January 17, 2014
Dorothy Chu and Susan Okada, Wafu kai

Dorothy Chu is an active member of the Wafu School of Ikebana California Chapter, a member of Ikebana International San Francisco Chapter as well as a member of the Ikebana Teachers Federation.  For more than 16 years, she has been under the excellent tutelage of Seiga Hoyrup Sensei and has attained the Somu Teacher Degree in 2012.

Dorothy has exhibited arrangements in multiple Wafu ikebana flower shows, Ikebana International flower shows in San Francisco and at the San Francisco Japan Town Cherry Blossom Festival flower shows sponsored by Ikebana Teachers Federation.

In addition, Dorothy has made demonstrations at various Wafu and Ikebana International flower shows in Cupertino and San Francisco.  She also made demonstrations to local groups in the Los Altos Library as well as to a large group of attendees at the Garden Hotel in Taipei,Taiwan.

Dorothy has a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in mathematics and a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University.  Since her retirement from high tech industry in 2011, Dorothy has been able to spend more time on her favorite hobbies, in addition to ikebana, such as reading, hiking and traveling.

Dorothy has been serving as the Recording Secretary on the Board of the Wafu School of Ikebana California Chapter for many years.  She was co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the Wafu Ikebana 2012 Flower Show, and is currently responsible for membership for the Ikebana Teachers Federation.

Susan Okada is a native of Hawaii where she attended the University of Hawaii, receiving both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physics.  She moved to California in 1979 and in 1995 joined the Wafu School of Ikebana, studying with Mrs. Fusako Hoyrup.  Susan earned the Teachers degree in August 2001 and received her flower name “Nansei”.  She was awarded the Sanyo degree in April 2009.

She is an active member of the California chapter of Wafu Kai, Ikebana International, and the Ikebana Teachers Federation.  She participated in flower shows presented by all three organizations, as well as Cherry Blossom Festivals in San Francisco and Cupertino.  She also has served as logistics chairperson for the last two Wafu Kai flower shows.

In addition to ikebana, Susan’s hobbies include swimming, quilting, and bird watching with her husband.

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