Roy Hiroshi Nose BORN 1920 DIED 1982 OCCUPATION Financial analyst, stockbroker
ROY HIROSHI NOSE was born in Vancouver, BC on July 10, 1920 to Seihachi and Misao Nose. Seihachi was a partner in a successful dry goods and clothing store on Powell Street that catered to the needs of Japanese-Canadians. They were known for renting tuxedos for formal functions. The Nose family, along with many in the community, resided in the Hastings Park area close to Nanaimo Street and East Hastings. They attended the Powell Street United Church, and as a youth Roy sang in the choir along with boyhood friend Roy Shinobu. Growing up, Roy had an interest in tennis and he played at the Nippon Tennis
Club but initially learned to play at Pandora Park. While attending UBC, Roy carpooled to campus in Tets Sanmiya’s car, along with lifelong friends Roy Shinobu, Fred Sasaki and Kichi Noguchi. The car would become more than just transportation for the young men, as each day they would meet back at the car to eat their bag lunch in an effort to save money. Fred Sasaki claims he never ate at the cafeteria on campus during his time as a student at UBC. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Roy and his parents managed to make their way to Montréal, where Roy was able to
secure a job as a financial analyst. Roy remained employed throughout the war. As the war came to a close, he made a bold decision. Supported by his father and the registrar at UBC, Roy applied for the MBA program at Harvard University. Roy was subsequently accepted into Harvard as part of the first postWWII class and graduated in 1947. During his time at Harvard, Roy met his future wife Emery Yamanaka. Legend has it she tagged along with her sister Michi, an acquaintance of Roy’s, during a social visit to Harvard. Roy and Emery were married in Toronto in 1949. Following the wedding, they settled in Toronto, where Roy
commenced work as a financial analyst and part-time columnist for the Toronto Telegram, answering reader’s questions about stocks. Roy would work his entire career in the investment industry, first as an analyst with Watt and Watt and subsequently as a stockbroker with A.E. Osler, where he would eventually become a partner. In 1982, Roy passed away at the age of 62 but is survived by Emery, who will be 89 this year and still resides in Toronto. Roy and Emery had two children: Barbara Misao Nose (Peters) in 1952 and Donald Roy Nose in 1955. Roy and Emery have a total of three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
RETURN a commemorative yearbook in honour of the Japanese Canadian students of 1942
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