On March 5, 2017, a celebration of life was held at the Hakone Japanese Gardens in Saratoga, California. | Unsplash/Külli Kittus
In Memory of Kier Linwood Bass June 17, 1972 to February 22, 2017
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Kier was the only son of Patricia Duffy Bass of Kernville, California and Arlen Bass of Paso Robles, California.
Kier lived in Santa Barbara, California from 1976 to 1992. As a young child, his interest in things Japanese began while watching selected cartoons. Later, in high school and after regular classes, he and other friends took Japanese classes. He also enjoyed traveling to Germany (the Wall) and England, thanks to partial exchange programs at school. He later traveled to Japan, Thailand, Australia, China, India and Vietnam.
After graduating from UC Santa Cruz in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences, he applied to the Japanese English Training Program and assisted Japanese teachers with English and elementary schools. He lived there for three years. After completing this program, Kier worked in other parts of Japan as a project geologist for more than five years.
Upon returning to the United States, he moved to Alameda, California, where he met his future wife, Naoko Okawa. They married on August 23, 2010 in Burlingame, California and later that November a very special trip to Japan was planned to attend a Shinto ceremony to commemorate their union.
Over time, they moved to San Jose, California, where he eventually got the job of his life at Apple Corporation. On December 5, 2015, a healthy boy, Hayling Naraki Bass, was born to them, which brought much joy to Kier.
Kier battled cancer for over a year and succumbed at home surrounded by comforting family and close longtime friends. On March 5, 2017, a celebration of life was held at the Hakone Japanese Gardens in Saratoga, California.
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