Mary Michael Tashiro, SSND
January 23, 1931 – August 28, 2025
Agnes (Ume) Tashiro was born on New Year’s Eve in 1931 to Shima Saito and Hidenori Tashiro in Tokyo, Japan. Her mother Shima, was an educated housewife, and her father, Hidenori, was a Professor of philosophy and German at several universities.
Her childhood in Japan faced many hardships as her country fought wars with China, the United States of America, and England. During Mary Michael’s wake service, Sister Mary Roy Weiss shared a story about what it was like for Ume to grow up during a time of war:
“For 10 days, she and her classmates silently mowed grass and pulled weeds around the Emperor’s palace. Then the students were mobilized to factories to make balloon bombs; they worked 9 to 11 hours each day. In addition, Ume had to travel an hour each way from her home to the factory. Then she was transferred to work in another factory that made airplane parts. In the meantime, her school was completely destroyed by a bomb. As she said in an early autobiography, written when she was a novice, ‘Our defeat was a great blow to us since we had dreamed and heard of nothing but victory; however, we came to appreciate the importance of peace.’”
Ume was baptized, against her parents’ wishes, on December 25, 1947, taking the baptismal name Mary Agnes. Later, her mother, Shima, would also convert to Catholicism and take the baptismal name Mary.
After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Foreign Language and Literature from the University of the Sacred Heart in Japan, she began teaching at Notre Dame High School in Kyoto, where she met the School Sisters of Notre Dame for the first time. Mary Roy recounted Agnes saying that, “the Sisters looked very cheerful, and they were truly human. Eventually, I became good friends with them, wishing to enter their community.” Mary Michael professed first vows on April 8, 1957, with her final profession taking place on August 28, 1962, taking the religious name, Sister Mary Michael.
For the first 8 years of her ministry, she served as a teacher at Notre Dame Junior and Senior High School in Kyoto, Japan. After her initial years teaching, she came to America to earn her Master of Library Science degree from the Catholic University of America in 1964.
Upon her return from her studies in America, she became a faculty member at Notre Dame’s Women’s College in Kyoto, Japan. Mary Michael would then go on to serve as the University’s president from 1977 to 1993. While serving as President of the University, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree in religious studies from Union University in 1981. After serving as the University’s president, Mary Michael took a brief sabbatical and taught in China for a year and a half.
In 1997, Mary Michael petitioned the Generalate and her Provincial to transfer to the Baltimore Province of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She officially transferred to the Baltimore Province in 2004. Mary Roy remembered Mary Michael speaking of the province, saying, “I feel very comfortable here and hope to continue to stay happy. I love the USA. I love the multicultural society, diversity, freedom, and challenge.” In fact, she loved it so much that she became a U.S. citizen in August, 2009, in one testing day, no less!
From 1997 to 2015, she served as a foreign language teacher at Notre Dame Preparatory School while living at the College of Notre Dame, now Notre Dame of Maryland University. She loved living at the college and would frequently walk around the campus and surrounding neighborhood. Mary Roy said those Sisters who lived with her would often say, “Where in the world is Mary Michael?” as she could often be found in the music department practicing piano or in the exercise room.
In 2015, she entered her mission of prayer and presence at Villa Assumpta and Stella Maris.
Sister Mary Michael Tashiro entered eternal life on August 28, 2025, surrounded by her Sisters in Stella Maris Nursing Home in Timonium, Maryland. She is remembered for her love of cooking, singing, and ability to make joyous connections with many people, especially her students.
A Mass of Resurrection was celebrated by Father Kenneth Gaddy, C.Ss.R, on Wednesday, September 17th at Villa Assumpta in Baltimore, Maryland. Her cremains were buried at Villa Maria Cemetery in Glen Arm, Maryland.
