Taeko (Ty) Inoue Bouchard of Grand Rapids, formerly Saginaw, age 99, passed away on July 18 th ,
2022. She was born to Mito and Denjiro Inoue on January 8 th , 1923, in Amagasaki, Japan. Ty had
three sisters and one brother. After graduating high school, her family moved to Toyonaka to
be closer to extended family. From an early age, Ty had a passion for dancing, with one of her
first jobs serving as a dancing instructor at Jonan Girl's Commercial School. In 1946, she began
performing dancing and entertainment for the 25 th Division Special Services, where she toured
the cities of Osaka, Nara, Kobe, and Wakayama. After this group stopped touring, she and three
other dancers started a new show called Kobe Gland. Ty would take the train from Toyonaka to
Kobe for a one-hour performance show. This is where Ty met Albert (Al) Doyle Bouchard
(predeceased), who was deployed after World War II to serve in Japan. Ty and Al married on
June 27 th, 1949, in Toyonaka, Japan. Immigration restrictions in the United States had prevented
Ty from joining Al in Saginaw, Michigan, after their marriage. Al petitioned Congress to allow
Ty's entry into the U.S. After this approval, she traveled for nearly a month by boat from Japan,
landing in San Francisco, before taking a bus across the country to meet Al in Michigan in July of
1951. They had a family of four children Alice, Audrey, Dale, and Amy. As Ty settled into
Saginaw, she grew a strong network of friends through her monthly meetings at the YWCA,
which turned into lifelong monthly gatherings with these same friends.
Ty had a keen eye for her needle and thread. She applied her sewing skills as the Manager of
Alterations at Jacobson's from 1970-1995. After her time at Jacobson's, Ty enjoyed
volunteering at the Japanese Cultural Center Tea House and Gardens of Saginaw from 1995-
2011. She assisted during tea ceremonies, bonsai classes, and Ikebana (flower arranging).
After spending 60 years in Saginaw, Ty moved to Orlando, Florida, where she lived from 2011-
2020. During her time in Orlando, she enjoyed spending time with her daughter and neighbor
Alice (predeceased). In 2020, Ty moved back to Michigan to reside with her daughter Amy at
their home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ty is survived by her daughter Amy Bouchard-Barrons
(Kevin), son-in-law Ken Hensley, grandchildren Kyle Barrons (Amelia), Amanda Brinkmann (Eric),
Casey Blair (Devon), Dawn Amy, and Carl Amy. Great grandchildren Caroline, Grace, Connor,
Logan, Henry, Orson, Quinn, and Avery.
Ty was a loving member of her family. She lived an active and independent lifestyle focused on
making it to many of her grandchildren's events and being a part of nearly all family gatherings.
She was confident, caring, and had a strong attention to detail which made her admirable to
those around her.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, one brother, and two daughters.
In place of flowers, donations can be made to the Japanese Cultural Center Tea House and
Gardens of Saginaw. Service Details. Online Memory & Photo Sharing Event Ongoing Online Event About this event In Loving Memory Of Taeko Bouchard January 8, 1923 - July 18, 2022 Look inside to read what others have shared Family and friends are coming together online to create a special keepsake. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in this book. View Tribute Book