Islander Spotlight: Yoshiko “Yoshi” Weeks
As a fixture at the base of the Green Pleasure Pier since 1972, Yoshi’s souvenir store is like an unofficial visitor center for Avalon. The owner, Yoshi Weeks, has been greeting visitors who come into her shop ever since she moved into the location and has been a member of the community since 1966.
Yoshi was born in Okinawa, Japan in 1940 and eventually relocated to Denver Colorado, via some other stops, with her first husband George Morris. She and George came to Catalina for a job he took at Joe’s Place, a local restaurant that was very popular, according to Yoshi.
“All the locals hung around the place,” Yoshi said.
Having traveled halfway around the world to settle in Avalon must have suited her because she never felt the need to leave. She still travelled to distant lands, including China, but she found a home on Catalina Island.
Yoshi said she enjoys the small town feel of Avalon. She said she feels safe and comfortable on the island and likes that she can take a short boat ride “overtown” if she needs to shop or visit friends. But when she’s at home, nothing a far drive to get, she said.
Two marriages and two children later, Yoshi is still working most days at the little souvenir shop that bears her name. When she moved into the small location, it was an alteration shop and she also sewed clothing to sell, items like bathing suits and shirts.
She had worked as a seamstress in her early days on the island, also doing upholstery for leather shops and the Catalina Island Company.
In 1986, she became a partner in opening a popular Chinese restaurant, called Mr. Ning’s Chinese Garden. It remained a popular place until 2017, when it had to close to make room for the expansion of the Hotel Atwater. While it was the end of an era for some (locals threw a big closing party for the eatery, she said), Yoshi said she was ready to step away from that business. Not that she was hands on. She said she knew next to nothing about running a restaurant and most of the hard work was done by her partners and the staff.
“I don’t know anything about Chinese food, I just eat it,” Yoshi said.
One of the other reasons Yoshi would travel to Long Beach, was to train at a martial arts studio. She earned a black belt and even traveled to China to train with a USA team at a Shaolin Temple in China. She doesn’t see herself travelling that far again but is glad she did it.
“I’m proud I went over to do that,” Yoshi said.
For now, Yoshi just wants to work her shop and spend time with friends and family. She has two children (Cindy and Dwayne), six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. As far as working as long as she can, Yoshi said she enjoys the interaction with people and sometimes helping visitors with information about the island. But mostly, she found during the COVID shutdown, what life would be like after working. She said being stuck at home with nothing to do, was not a fun experience for her.
“It felt like a nursing home … it was miserable,” Yoshi said.
If you have a suggestion of a local for an islander spotlight, email editor@thecatalinaislander.com, or call 562-317-1100.
