Eiji Miki

Eiji Miki, age 89, of Salem, New Hampshire died of pneumonia on June 13, 2023 after a year of health challenges. Eiji was born on May 19, 1934 in Funabashi-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan, the son of Shun-itsu Miki and Ayako Seki Miki. He was the fifth of ten children, two of whom died in infancy and one who did not reach full term.

Eiji grew up outside of Tokyo during WWII and shared many memories of being a child during the war. He went to a progressive private school, Jiyu Gakuen after grade school which very much suited his personality which was a unique combination of routine while at home with a great love for adventure and travel when out in the world.

Eiji came to the United States in 1958 to attend the University of Michigan School of Engineering where he received a Masters in Engineering. In 1964 he married Karen Pearson and had two children, Rebecca (Ajana) and Christine. They were amicably divorced in 1988.

Eiji was a naturalized US citizen and appreciate and exercised his freedom of speech routinely.  He was passionate about politics and actively participated in supporting the US democracy. 

In 2001 Eiji met Elizabeth Jane Hever, the great love of his life. Together they enjoyed precious family time, visited with intimate friends and traveled the world. Jane was holding his hand as he died, surrounded by family.

Eiji’s second great love was music. Our earliest memory of him, is walking around the house conducting symphonies. He had a lifelong love for baroque recorder. He retired in his 50s in order to be able to devote his time to music. He spent the rest of his life playing with dear friends, learning from master musicians, teaching and supporting musical projects.

Eiji also loved nature. He loved to hike and hiked as often as possible until he was 88 years old. In the last year, one of his favorite things to do was to go outside and feel the sun on his face. Our last photo of him was taken a week before he died, with his face lifted towards the sun and a huge smile on his face.

Along with the above, Eiji had a passion for politics, justice and history. He loved beauty, art and to enjoy delicious food with friends and family.

Eiji is survived by his two daughters, Ajana and Christine, his beloved, Elizabeth Jane Hever and her children Janet and Phillip and their families. In Japan he is survived by his brothers Toshiyuki, Takeyoshi, Katsuyoshi, Haruo and his sister, Keiko and their families.  His spirit joins both his parents and his older sister Yoshiko.