Take Kurihara Chamberlain

Take Chamberlain left this world to be with our Lord and her husband, Bruce, on July 3, 2024 at 6:55 pm EST – surrounded by family at home.

Mom was born on January 25, 1930 to Bun and Chokichi Kurihara in Hatano, Japan. She was the fourth of 6 children and the self-proclaimed black sheep. She told stories about so many antics and practical jokes played while growing up. Her family farmed and led a simple life in what was then Hatano village.

She met Bill Goodson while working on the Marine Corps base in Atsugi, Japan. They were married and she came to the US by ship in 1959, arriving at Santa Ana, California. She took classes and became a US citizen. Marie and Bill were born there. Mom always talked about the orange tree grove outside the windows. While there for Bill’s birth, dad brought Marie outside of the hospital window so she could see her – she had not been away from her before then. Later, stationed at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, Patti was born. After a few years, the next station was Millington, TN.

Bill was deployed to Vietnam and mom held down the household, three kids, a couple of dogs, a cat and some chickens. She bought a .22 pistol and learned to shoot, target practicing on empty cans in the pine grove out back. When a large black snake came to eat the eggs, she called the MPs from the base and they arrived and took care of it. She crocheted blankets for the Navy Relief and learned to decorate cakes with a Wilton class. She sewed our clothes and made matching outfits for our toys.

Bill walked out on our family after his return from the war, mom took a job at the restaurant on base to cover the bills and she kept things together. She would get us off to school in every morning with breakfast and tell us goodnight when she returned after work. She met Bruce Chamberlain, the love of her life. Their honeymoon was in Clearwater, FL with three kids travelling in a station wagon. Dad was stationed in Beaufort, SC in 1973, retiring near the ocean waters for mom. They caught clams, fish and went shrimping for fun and a love of seafood. Dad preceded her too soon in 1992, she always said she was still married and remained independent until her stroke this past March.

Mom always loved to sew. She made our clothes as we grew up and worked at Petit Bateau, later Levi Strauss – beating all production benchmarks and was subsequently moved to training. She worked for a short time at Greene’s alterations, then opened her own alteration shop. Daddy encouraged her to take that leap, and she did. She later moved her shop to Shell Point Shopping Center and ran her shop for over 30 years. Her puppy was always there with her and she always said, “I love to sew!”. Word spread and she sometimes had to turn down work, learning to schedule requests sometimes weeks out. She provided alterations to most of the first responders, many of the Marines from Paris Island and the Air Station, and hundreds of people from the Beaufort and surrounding area. When someone came in for something small, like replacing a button, she would fix it then send them off with “On the house”.

After beating COVID in 2021, mom continued working part time from home. She took up find a word and jigsaw puzzles, and afternoon naps with her puppy. Every morning she had coffee on the back porch, spread seed on the ground for the doves and watched the birds and squirrels. Sundays were family days – she prepared the meal for her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. She and her puppy fell into a new routine as she continued to live independently.

Mom was the core and foundation on which our family was lovingly built. She raised us to be close, have grateful hearts and a deep desire to always help others. If you were fortunate enough to have known her, you know how big her heart and spirit were. The void left by her passing is overflowing with her strength, memories of her quick smile, kind eyes and so much love and laughter that we will carry with us forever.

She is survived by her daughter Marie McFadden (Larry) and son Ross; her son Bill Goodson (Lori), grandsons Jonathan and Joshua (Whitney); daughter Patti Price (Robert), children Billy (Jennifer), Emily and children Jayson, Amaya, Gabriel and Javier, Shelby and son Cairo; Dorothy (Tanner) and children Adeline and Jameson, Robbie and daughter Lilah, Joshua and children Lillian, Sophia and mom’s puppy Sukoshi.

Mom’s Celebration of Life will be held at Copeland Funeral Services on Tuesday, July 9th at 11:00 am. This will be followed by committal at the Beaufort National Cemetery at noon where she will rest with daddy for eternity.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Lending Room 501(c)3. When we brought mom home, they provided what we needed for her care.
The Lending Room
PO Box 1535
954 Ribault Road
Beaufort, SC 29902
www.lendingroombeaufort.com