Zenzo "Charlie" Tagawa passed away peacefully on July 30, 2017. A musician and entertainer, he performed, taught, and led the Peninsula Banjo Band for over 40 years.  His curiosity and thirst for knowledge never quenched and would want to share his knowledge with anyone who would listen.  As a teacher, he was a disciplinarian and probably originated the phrase, "There is no try, only do."  You never wanted to get an, "Oh, Nooooo."  As a performer and leader, he strived for excellence and to put smiles on the faces of the audience and make them happy.

Charlie was an Edokko. He loved Tokyo, but as he came over to the United States to pursue his passion of being a banjo player, he was also proud to be a Cupertino resident.  He was a 2009 recipient of the Santa Clara County Asian American Heroes Award.  He treasured being a representative of two nations.  He invited people of both countries to experience what each other had to offer.  He brought musicians over from Japan to perform, build relationships with local musicians, and tour the U.S.  One of his proudest achievements was to do the same with the young members of the Peninsula Junior Banjo Band and take them on a tour of Japan.  Charlie loved Americana.  When he wasn't reading about it, he enjoyed watching westerns, learning about Native American culture, and traveling throughout the country with people he met through performing.  He also loved watching Japanese dramas, variety shows and documentaries.

Charlie also was passionate about cooking. He worked at Azuma Restaurant for many years and opened his own restaurant – Charlie's Place.  As the demands of the restaurant grew, he came to a crossroads where he had to choose between one or the other.  That decision was never in question for him.

Charlie enjoyed life to the fullest and tried to share it with others. He spent mornings making friends at a local McDonald's and writing letters and cards to friends.  Through the years, he has been a doting grandfather.

Charlie is survived by his sons Nori and Leon, daughter-in-law Heather, and grandchildren: Ryan, Brendan, and Dylan.

The Tagawa family would be honored to thank his friends, students, fellow musicians, fans, the Gedatsu Church, Yu-Ai Kai San Jose, his breakfast club friends at McDonald's, and to those who were willing to listen and give him a smile. He believed that his spirit will live on and we hope it will for all of those that knew him. If you close your eyes and imagine hearing, "Chaaaah-Leeee!" we hope that the memories of him performing will bring a smile to your face.

For more information about his music career, please visit Charlie's Wikipedia page.

On Wednesday, August 9, ^, 2017, from 6PM to 9PM, A "Celebration of Life" gathering will be held at Harry's Hofbrau, 390 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose, CA.

Services will be held at 12:30 on Friday, August 11, 2017 at Alameda Family Funeral and Cremation, 12341 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, Saratoga, CA.