Glenn Shigemi Toyota

Glenn S. Toyota

December 9, 1957-May 17, 2026

Glenn Shigemi Toyota was born in Pittsburg, California, on December 9, 1957, to father Mikio and mother Ruth Eiko (Kagawa). He was the oldest of three siblings and attended Marina Elementary, Central Junior High School, and Pittsburg High School - recognized as one of the valedictorians in 1976.

Glenn attended UC Davis for two years before enlisting in the Navy and was the recipient of the Military Excellence Award - the premier overall honor bestowed to a single recruit. He proudly served as a corpsman/medic and traveled extensively aboard the USS Puget Sound. After serving honorably, Glenn worked as an EMT in the Richmond area. He completed the Stanford-Foothill Paramedic Program and was proud to serve as a paramedic in the Bay Area. An injury led him to retrain in the field of web design, creating a new, flourishing career.

Glenn’s love of the ocean and expertise in diving later led to employment at Captain Aqua in the Bay Area and ultimately at Dolphin Scuba Center in Sacramento as lead service technician. Glenn loved the Big Sur area and excelled at free diving for abalone. He was a master, cave, and rescue certified scuba diver, a certified sky diver, and an avid photographer specializing in macrophotography.

In recent years, Glenn loved to keep in shape by lifting weights and running up and down flights of stairs; his favorite place to grab a quick meal after work was the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. He was an avid fan of the WNBA and enjoyed discussing his favorite players.

Glenn is preceded in death by his father Mikio and mother Ruth (both of whom he cared for until their passings) and brother-in-law Ron Matsushima. He is survived by his sister Karen (Matsushima); brother Henry; nieces Kirstie and Stephi Matsushima; nephew Drew Matsushima; special friends Rick Beyer, Michele Johnson, and Becki Bell; and his beloved feline family Gracie and Chessie.

Thank you to the medical professionals, social workers, and facilities staff at Mather VA Hospital, CREC, and Whitney Oaks Care Center. Special thanks to nurses Shiela and Fouzia for the compassionate care and dignified services rendered to ease Glenn’s passing.

When asked what he would like his nieces and nephew to know about him, Glenn did not hesitate in responding, “I have had an amazing life…I got to save lives. At 22-years-old, I was saving lives; that is what I am most proud of.”

Per Glenn’s request, no funeral service was held.