By It’s a miracle that Kuni and I ever met, much less married and got to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary together in 1995, one year before his untimely passing,” reflects Vickie. “The only reason our paths ever crossed when I was a young country bumpkin was that my parents insisted I chaperone a date between Kuni and my sister Linda.
But one would be hard pressed to have found a more romantic gentleman.
That’s why the eyes of his widow Vickie still sparkle when she muses about how they might have spent June 20, 2020: The 50th anniversary of the day they exchanged I dos.
“It’s a miracle that Kuni and I ever met, much less married and got to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary together in 1995, one year before his untimely passing,” reflects Vickie. “The only reason our paths ever crossed when I was a young country bumpkin was that my parents insisted I chaperone a date between Kuni and my sister Linda.”
Though only 18, Vickie exuded the appearance and confidence of a petite sophisticate – something the globe-trotting Kuni found equally astonishing and refreshing.
“Of course, being the gentleman that he was, Kuni didn’t let on that he had any feelings for me on the occasion of his first date with my sister. But after Linda made it clear that although Kuni was a wonderful friend, she didn’t want to have a second date, Cupid’s arrow quickly pointed in another direction,” giggles Vickie.
And candles may not have been flickering at the time of Kuni’s marriage proposal, but the flame of love in Vickie’s heart glowed all the more brightly after the groom-to-be offered to personally design an exquisite dress for his bride to wear when they stood before a Justice of the Peace in St. Louis, Missouri. Although the vintage photos that accompany this story fail to capture the detail and quality of the materials the dressmaker transformed into a one-of-a-kind ensemble, Vickie’s memories of the romantic gesture will never fade.
Nor will memories of trips they took to exotic destinations where Vickie, who recently retired from her longtime career as head cashier at Ballston Spa’s OSJL department store, got to hear her husband not only conversing fluently in English and Japanese, but also expressing himself in German, French, Portuguese and Spanish. “Kuni was not only a natural goodwill ambassador, he was also a natural linguist,” beams Vickie.
“And upon his return from business trips that would sometimes take him away for weeks at a time, Kuni would always bring me something special as a reminder that he’s been holding me close to his heart,” she smiles.
But the uncontested very best gift Kuni ever gave Vickie was their son Masahiko – better known in speed skating and wrestling circles as Mark.
Masahiko “Mark” Yanagihara shares
heartwarming reflections about his parents
Suddenly, out of nowhere, I see my mother and aunt helping my father into the arena: One arm around each of them. That first image of them is burned into my memory much clearer than any photograph. It was the defining moment in my life of understanding how much my parents loved me and the strength of our family bond.
“The summer after my senior year at Ballston Spa High School (1992), my father was diagnosed with colon cancer. My uncle had been a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and had the connections to arrange emergency surgery for my father there. Ironically, I was supposed to compete in the Junior National Wrestling Championships in Minnesota at the same time. In my mind, I had no intentions of wrestling in that tournament. My father had other plans for me and made me go. I was NOT pleased with his mandate. If one understands Japanese culture, one understands my father’s decision was “THE decision.” The only comfort I could hold onto was my mother and aunt were with him and we were at least in the same state; close enough for me to somehow get there if he were to be on his deathbed. That wasn’t much comfort at all to be honest. My father had the surgery the day before the NYS wrestling team and I arrived at the tournament. The Greco Roman tournament was a three-day event. I called my parents from a pay phone (no cell phones back then) in the arena after every match. My mother would answer and she would relay the results to my father. Day One, I won every match. Day Two, I won every match. On Day Three, the semi-finals were in the morning and if I won, I would compete for the title. I called the hospital room and this time my mother gave the phone to my father. I told him “We’re in the finals.” His only response was “I’ll be there” and hung up. I called again immediately and my mother answered and said my father insisted on leaving the hospital. Again, my father’s decision was gospel.
Hours later, I paced the arena. I was supposed to be warming up for the finals but instead just kept looking for them. With no cell phones, I had no updates. To be honest, the worst case scenario of my father dying on the road consumed me. Several of my teammates found me wandering the arena and told me I had to line up for introductions but I refused. I just kept nervously searching and praying.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, I see my mother and aunt helping my father into the arena: One arm around each of them. That first image of them is burned into my memory much clearer than any photograph. It was the defining moment in my life of understanding how much my parents loved me and the strength of our family bond. That single moment in time. Equally defining of the moment was the relationship between my parents. My father saying: “We’re doing this” and mother making it happen. I’d be remiss not to express how unbelievable my mother has always been at “making it happen.” Under EVERY circumstance, she figured out the “how” and was the glue keeping it together. In a word: REMARKABLE.
So, did I win the match? My apologies, but not the storybook ending you might have hoped for. LOL. I cried uncontrollably upon seeing my parents and I was still crying when I stepped on the mat to wrestle. I lost the National Championship title match and yet, I couldn’t have possibly been happier. I had my parents and family. We were one. LOVE.”
The final word goes to Vickie, who remains a firm believer in Happily Ever Afters.
“Marcus is so much like his father. He’s so right. Love is the only word for our family.”
AN EXTRA SPECIAL PARTING NOTE:
Mark Yanagihara was featured together with Ballston Spa’s Rebecca Simmons in a Winter 2019 Saratoga Family/Healthy Saratoga magazine article titled “A match made in speed skating heaven.” An excerpt from the piece written by Ann Hauprich follows:
Being there for one another “in spirit” — both on and off the ice — is the undisputed cornerstone of their union. It grieved Simmons, for example, to be far from their Ballston Spa home when her beau’s legacy as a top level Masters speed skater and a world class wrestler was honored during the school district’s 2019 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. But Digital Age innovations enabled Yanagahara, who is also a director at a data analytics organization, to promptly share highlights of that SMILEstone – and others – with her.
Another impenetrable block in their foundation has been the unwavering support of coaches, mentors and other role models upon whom they lavish praise for contributions to their respective achievements. While some of the names will be familiar to fans who cheer athletes on wheels and blades, this tribute to Simmons and Yanagihara wouldn’t be complete without a special mention of their cherished “four-legged kids.”
When asked about the importance of 13-year-old Border Collie Charlie and two-year-old Bernese Mountain dog Ziggie, Simmons awarded her “boys” the equivalent of gold medals for their fitness-enhancing and morale-boosting performances. “Charlie and Ziggie are the only reason I stay sane in all of this training when Marcus and I are thousands of miles apart . . . I come home from practice and my boys are greeting me at the door. They never care to ask or know how well I skated that day. Whether it was a good or bad day they still love me the same. There are many times I could just stay in my apartment alone watching shows, but having my boys nearby forces me to get out. Every time I take them for a walk or hike I get fresh air and feel like I can reset myself. They remind me to come back to reality outside of a skating rink and just enjoy life and the process,” muses Simmons.
Turns out it’s a marvel Simmons and Yanagihara ever crossed paths at all because speed skating was NOT the first competitive sports love of either. Hers was ice hockey; his wrestling.
To read the in-depth 2019 magazine feature in its entirety, please visit: https://issuu.com/saratogapublishing/docs/sf_hswinter2019issuu.
To learn more about Mark’s induction into the Ballston Spa Central School District’s 2019 Athletics Hall of Fame, please visit: https://ballstonspaathleticshalloffame.com/.
