Dearest Family & Friends,

As you have probably heard, we have recently lost our beloved Hiroko “Yoshi” Yoshida. Her never-ending giggling, adorable smile, silly facial expressions, and intimate knowledge of water & wastewater treatment undoubtedly brought joy into all our lives. It goes without saying, we are all going to miss our sweet Yoshi.

In notifying our amazing Badger, Kenosha, Midwest, Japanese, etc. communities the resounding response has been ‘How can we help?’. Yoshi’s husband Josh, daughter Hannah, and son Kent sincerely appreciate everyone that has reached out during this difficult time.

There is undeniably a rough road ahead for our friends. To show our community support, I am reaching out requesting a GoFundMe donation. Childcare, food, funeral, etc. expenses must be addressed in the immediate future. Josh is an amazing father, husband, and provider. The Gable children will always be safe & well-loved. Regardless, these three need our help moving forward and finding a way to embrace the beauty and joy of life.

All that said, I am setting the donation target to $20,000.00; this is an arbitrary number. There is no maximum or minimum amount of money that can change what has happened. Anything exceeding essential needs for some sort of reprieve will be allocated to an educational fund for the children.

Your support and generosity are sincerely appreciated during this very difficult time.

Warmest Regards,

Michael Sargent

FOOTNOTE: Drafting this letter and making calls to share this painful news has truly been an eye-opening painful experience. Time and geography inevitably cause us to drift away from the people we cherish. It is critically important we fight this. Call or text an old friend. See how they are doing. Keep in touch. You don’t want an occasion like this to be the reason you reconnect with the people you love. Please or text me any time if you want to talk [phone redacted].

If you are anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, or a mental health crisis please call 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and speak with a trained specialist 24/7.