Machi Horochivsky March 01, 1931 – December 19, 2018 Share this obituary Local Florists View/Sign Guest Book| Send Private Condolences Machi Horochivsky, age 87, of Lompoc passed away peacefully at the Lompoc Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Wednesday evening, December 19, 2018. She was born on March 1, 1931 in Manganji, Kumamoto Prefecture Kyushu, Japan, the third daughter of Sanji and Tsuchi Kitazato. During World War II, she witnessed the fire-bombing of Tokyo.
After high school she attended a clothing pattern school for two years, a school on Kimono patterns, designs and tailoring for one year, and then taught simplicity pattern sewing for three years—all in Toyko. In the latter half of the 1960’s, she came to Santa Maria through sponsorship of Al and Suyu (her eldest sister) Ploutz. Machi then worked as a seamstress at the Vandenberg AFB laundry.
Here she met Michael Horochivsky and they were married on December 29, 1970. She then studied English for two years during night school at Lompoc High School and obtained her U.S. citizenship in September 1972. As a reward, her husband took her on a three-week car tour of America.
They also toured through most of the States for several years with their motor home. Later, Machi and her sister Suyu were co-owners of Sue’s Alterations for five years in Santa Maria. She also made all of her husband’s clothes and suits, as well as her own.
This included making her own wedding dress within three days before the wedding, as well as one for Suyu who served as matron of honor. Machi was always very busy who became a vivid oil and Sumi-e painter, Sumi-e is the Japanese word for Black Ink Painting, with emphasis placed on the beauty of each individual stroke of the brush. However, Machi also used multi-color inks in this art form.
Her oil and Sumi-e paintings were “keepers” and many were given to her friends all over America. Her ocean animal-and sea life oil paintings on her home garage door have brought many favorable comments from passing people. Machi also scuba-dived and fished with her husband off the Central Pacific Coast.
Both worked out five days a week at the YMCA for years. She had a fine collection of bonsai plants as a member of the Santa Maria Bonsai Club. Both she and Michael were very active in the Coastal Valley Orchid Society in Lompoc during it’s entire tenure.
They always participated in setting up and taking down multi-winning Lompoc exhibits during an average of four Orchid Shows per year on the Central Coast. Machi also sewed cloth backgrounds for the shows while Michael photographed and made slide shows and video presentations of every show, as well as photos for local newspaper articles. Both also had many fruit trees and a large garden in their back yard.
Machi is survived by her husband Michael of 48 years; sister Tsuyo Maruyama, brother Aeji and Sumiko Kitayato and family, brother Takuji and Emiko Kitazato and family, and a few nephews and nieces- all in Japan. She is also survived by nephews Dennis Ploutz of the Central Coast; Arthur Ploutz and his wife Jody of Rosamond, CA and their daughter Michelle and son Curtis; Jeffrey Ploutz of Santa Maria, and his daughter Christina and her husband Jason Ferkel and two daughters; and Paul Ploutz of Lompoc. Machi was preceded in death by her father Sanji and mother Tsuchi of Japan; sister Suyu Ploutz of Santa Maria, and two brothers in Japan.
Machi had a very gentle, loving, soft-spoken, and cheerful personality. To know her was to love her. She will be greatly missed by her husband, Michael, and by all who were fortunate to have known her.
A visitation will be held at Starbuck-Lind Mortuary, 123 North A St., Lompoc, on Friday, December 28th from 9-10 am. The funeral service will be at 10 am at the same location. The interment will follow at Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery, 600 South C St., Lompoc.
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