Gregory Mitsuru Hayakawa

Greg Hayakawa passed away at home, surrounded by his family, on April 8, 2026 following an eight-month journey with metastatic prostate cancer. Greg is survived by his beloved wife Mary, his three children Devon, James (Fiona), and Jordan, his sister Jane, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his and Mary’s parents, his sister Frances, and his brothers-in-law Dennis Dote, David Yamada, and Robert Charles Goodell.

Greg was a gentle, loving soul who was always positive and upbeat. He navigated his cancer journey as he lived his life with grace, compassion, and a dogged determination. He touched so many lives along the way.

Greg was born on January 1, 1953, in Los Angeles and grew up in East Los Angeles. He attended the Maryknoll School in Little Tokyo through middle school and then Loyola High School. Following high school, Greg attended Loyola Marymount University and received his BA in Liberal Studies / Religious Studies in 1975. During his time at LMU, Greg found his calling to be a music minister playing for mass at Huesman Chapel. He was a part of the Student Worker Program and the LMU Big Brothers.

Greg continued to work at LMU from 1975-2004, first in Physical Plant and then as the assistant treasurer for the Jesuit Community. While working at LMU, Greg also served as a liturgical musician / choir director at St. Monica’s and Corpus Christi. For many years, Greg was part of the planning committee for the Religious Education Congress held by the Archdiocese in Anaheim each year. Greg composed liturgical music and is best known for his song “I am the Light of the World,” which is still being sung in churches today.

Greg met Mary at St. Monica’s when she joined the choir in 1992, and they were married in 1995. Their daughter Devon was born in 1997 and their twins, James and Jordan, were born in 2001.

Greg and Mary moved the family to Davis in 2004 when Mary was hired to work for UC Davis. Following the move, Greg became a full time caregiver / stay-at-home dad for the kids. Greg was the most exceptional father. He was patient, kind, organized and was always ready with a good dad joke, a bit of Beatles or Bruce Springsteen trivia, and his label maker. As the kids grew up, Greg went back to work at Woodland Christian Church as their choir director, bookkeeper, and administrative assistant.

Greg retired in 2022 and Mary followed suit in 2024. Greg loved nothing more than visiting his kids and seeing them perform and in the last few years traveled to New York City, Ithaca, London, Muncie, Florida, Palm Desert and Chicago. Greg and Jordan shared a special cross-country road trip during the summer of 2024, including a visit to Heart Mountain, where Greg’s family was interned during WWII.

Greg loved the Dodgers, puttering around the house, playing his guitar, doing word games and Sudoku, playing board games with the family, and hanging out with his cats. He took joy in the little things. We miss his steady presence in our lives.

There will be a celebration of Greg’s life at Smith Funeral Home in Davis on Saturday, May 16th at 1:00 p.m. followed by an open house reception in Aggie Village. There also will be a memorial mass at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Santa Monica on Tuesday, July 7th at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Greg’s honor may be made to Loyola Marymount University for the Student Worker Program (https://giving.lmu.edu/sa/) or UC Davis Health Home Care Services Hospice Program (https://give.ucdavis.edu/9111).