Born to Shiichiro and Hisaji Sakaguchi, Dr. Mary Sakaguchi Oda’s remarkable journey began on March 15, 1920, in California. As the fifth of eight children, her resilience and determination were evident from a young age. Despite enduring the hardship of internment at Manzanar during World War II, Dr. Oda persevered and completed her medical degree at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, now part of Drexel University.

Dr. Oda’s career flourished alongside her brother, Dr. Sanbo Sakaguchi, and sister Lily, a lab technician, in their San Fernando practice. For 46 years, Dr. Oda worked tirelessly and compassionately, delivering babies and providing exceptional medical care to her patients and their families. Her generosity extended beyond her practice as she actively supported Providence Holy Cross Foundation over the decades.

After Dr. Oda passed away, her daughter funded the Dr. Mary Sakaguchi Endowed Fund with a gift she inherited from her mother to reflect and fulfill Dr. Oda’s gratitude for the Continuing Medical Education (CME) program she relished attending, which was aimed at benefiting physicians, retired physicians and other medical personnel at Providence Holy Cross.

This fund supports vital programs, activities and continuing medical education classes for the community. One of the main goals in establishing this endowment was to encourage other physicians to create their own legacies to ensure the future of the programs that mattered most to them.

Most recently, the Dr. Mary Sakaguchi Oda Endowment Fund sponsored the Doctors Day appreciation lunch on March 31. This event exemplifies the spirit of Dr. Oda’s legacy — fostering
camaraderie, knowledge-sharing and appreciation among medical professionals.

As we celebrate the life and contributions of Dr. Mary Sakaguchi Oda, we invite you to join us in carrying her vision forward. By creating your own endowed fund or supporting existing ones, you can help ensure a bright future for the medical programs and professionals that matter most to you at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center.

To learn more, contact Debra.King@providence.org.