Kazuko Komatsu Obituary (July 01, 1948 – July 27, 2018)
Kazuko Komatsu OBC, the owner and CEO of Pacific Western Brewing, passed away peacefully July 27th, 2018, after a long and valiant battle against cancer.
Ms. Komatsu came to Canada as a young woman and established a successful trading business exporting natural resources, fish, housing units and beer. Considered by many as a virtual force of nature, Ms. Komatsu purchased Prince George based Pacific Western Brewing when it was on the brink of bankruptcy after many owners before her had tried unsuccessfully to revive the flagging brewery. Ms. Komatsu made it a global success. Ms. Komatsu rebuilt the company using two fundamental guideposts: quality and innovation.
In 1998, Ms. Komatsu received the Order of BC. At the time, she was described as a new Canadian entrepreneur who “walked log booms selecting timber suited for the Japanese market,” and who “established a 2×4 training school in Japan.” The award also paid tribute to her service on the boards of the University of Northern BC (UNBC) and Royal Roads University, her membership on the Canada Japan Business Committee and her role as director of the Brewers Association of Canada. Ms. Komatsu was held in high regard across BC for her philanthropic initiatives.
For almost the entire life of UNBC, Ms. Komatsu was a financial contributor to the university, supporting the library, scholarships, bursaries, academic conferences, the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre, and the Northern Medical Programs Trust. She also undertook an ambitious reforestation campaign in Interior BC, gave bursaries to BC athletes and coaches, and spearheaded environmental reclamation projects. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the Kordyban Lodge of the Canadian Cancer Society.
There will be celebrations of her life on Thursday, August 16th at 2p.m. at the Terminal City Club, 837 West Hastings St., Vancouver and on Friday, August 17th at 1 p.m. at the PWB Brewery in Prince George. Ms. Komatsu is survived by her nephew Taizan, her niece Miki and the entire PWB family.