Mieko I. Neal, 88, passed away on December 15, 2024, at Layhill Nursing Center in Silver Spring, MD. She was born on January 12, 1936, in Hiroshima Ken, Japan, to the late Yoshito Imai and Kohina (nee: Sumito) Imai.

After graduating high school, Mieko worked in a gun shop and as a maid, which eventually included cleaning the home of two U.S. sailors. Both of those sailors returned stateside for their next tours, but one (Don) returned to Japan two years later, where he reunited with Mieko. They married and had one son, Edward. In 1960, the family left Japan and moved to Norfolk, VA. Three years later, they moved to Patuxent River, MD, where Don later retired from the U.S. Navy and began his civilian career as an engineer.

Mieko enjoyed bowling in a league when she was in her 30s. Then she discovered gardening, and for the rest of her life she loved tending to her flower and vegetable gardens. Mieko enjoyed playing Bingo with her friends at the AFC in Mechanicsville. For several years, she would often host poker weekends during which she and several Japanese friends would get together to make and eat lots of Japanese food favorites while playing poker and napping on the couch.

Mieko lost Don to cancer in 1977, but life continued. Eventually, she would try her hand at business, purchasing and running Touch of the Orient wig shop in Lexington Park with two friends before selling her share of the business to them. In the early 1990s, she purchased and ran a small restaurant in Texas for about a year before returning to Lexington Park.

Mieko is survived by her son, Edward Neal of Lexington Park and her grandsons, Adam Neal of Lusby, Brian Neal of Fort Washington, and Christopher Neal of Meridian, Mississippi. She is survived by three brothers and three sisters, all of Japan. She is also survived by her five great-grandsons Jackson, Jadon, Jacob, Jace, and Jameson of Lusby.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was also preceded in death by one brother.

Interment will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.