It is with sadness that I have to report the death of Ed Alseika. Ed was 73
years old and at his bedside was his wife, Shoko. Ed was raised in an Orphan
Home in Massachusetts. He joined the US Navy at the age of 17. During his twenty
years of service to the Nation, he was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan where he
started judo in January 1954. He was a member of the highly regarded & successful
Watanabe Dojo in Yokosuka and was a personal friend and teammate of the late
Isao Inokuma, 1964 Olympic Gold Medalist and 1965 World Champion.
Ed, a Kodokan seventh dan, rose rapidly through the ranks of judo, making both
shodan and nidan with less than a year in judo. He earned all of his ranks through
competition in Japan, with the exception of 4th degree, which he earned in Hawaii.
In 1959 and 1961, he placed 2nd and 3rd in the AAU Senior Nationals. The US
was represented in the 1961 World Championship by George Harris and Ed Alseika.
The result of an attempt on his life in 1995, he was blinded. He had a great
memory and sense of humor. He always enjoyed judo. During a recent two month
stay in Yokosuka, Japan for medical treatment, he had time to visit his old
dojo and to meet with officials from the Yokosuka Judo Association.
He lived most of his life in Japan but spent his last thirty years on the Island
of Guam.
Well wishes may be sent to his wife,
SHOKO ALSEIKA
123 TALISAY DR
SANTA RITA GU 96915-1517