Gordon Kusayanagi, born and raised in Gilroy, killed by crazed
motorist
Hollister – Gordon Kusayanagi didn’t care much about money. He didn’t care about status.
Gordon Kusayanagi only cared about providing for his family, jamming in his rock band and giving back to his community, friends and family said Thursday.
But now his wife, two adult children and two grandsons must piece their lives back together after losing their husband, father and friend.
Kusayanagi was killed Wednesday when Rialto resident Stephen Michael Ressa drove a stolen Buick into a crowd of people on the Las Vegas Strip.
“During my father’s final moments he was surrounded by the love of his wife, two best friends and total strangers that tried desperately to save him,” his son Scott wrote in a statement. “As Mr. Ressa is already in custody, it is our intention to pursue prosecution to the fullest extent of the law for our family and the others affected by these crimes.”
Kusayanagi, 52, who lived in Hollister with his wife, Stephanie, was vacationing in Las Vegas with her and his two best friends, his son said. The group was on its way to see a show when Ressa intentionally drove the car he’d stolen from his mother into a crowd of people. Kusayanagi and another man from Irvine were killed. Thirteen people were injured.
“I got the call about 5:20pm from my uncle, my dad’s best friend, who is also my godfather. I heard my mom screaming and I heard other people screaming,” Scott said. “He said there’s been an accident and you need to get here right now.”
Kusayanagi’s daughter Sarah, 24, works as a dispatcher for the Morgan Hill Police department, lives in Gilroy, and has a 7-year-old son, Cameron.
Scott, a 29-year-old San Jose resident with a 6-year-old son, said his father was struck by the car from behind and thrown approximately 20 feet in the air across an intersection. “It is our understanding that he died virtually on impact,” he wrote in his statement.
While an autopsy has already been performed, Scott said his father’s body has yet to make it home due to the ongoing homicide investigation in Las Vegas. Ressa remains in the Clark County Jail on charges of murder and attempted murder.
Kusayanagi, who was born and raised in Gilroy and had lived in Hollister for about six years, was a businessman who along with his wife owned the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Monterey. They had owned the two Rocky Mountain stores in Gilroy until they recently sold them to focus on the Monterey location.
Before getting into the sweets business, Kusayanagi worked for IBM and volunteered on the advisory board for the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Joanne Kessler, executive director of the festival, described him as a “very, very nice man.”
And while Kusayanagi’s employees said he was a great boss and a quiet, kind person, he had a passion that put him in the spotlight often. He played guitar and keyboards for the rock cover band Ten ’til Two, which just played a gig last weekend at the Cantina in Tres Pinos, said one of his band members, Scott Dinn.
Kusayanagi’s son, who sings lead in the band, said while he’s still in shock, he’s absolutely positive about one thing – keeping the band together in his father’s memory.
Funeral services have not been scheduled, however Scott Kusayanagi said the family will make a public announcement when a date is set.
