Eiko (Ito) Tennant

Eiko (Ito) Tennant, 85, passed away in the loving presence of her family on July 29, 2025. Daughter of Soryo Shigeru Ito and Hanano (Minamoto) Ito, she was born in Nagoya, Japan, on January 26, 1940. As a young girl, she often shared her opinions before being asked which upset her mother often. Her father, however, smiled and beamed with pride knowing his daughter would grow up to be a strong woman. Eiko preferred playing baseball rather than playing with dolls. She excelled in academics and was the only girl in her class to earn a placement into high school. Most girls attended programs teaching traditional Japanese etiquette to learn their roles as wives and mothers in the home. Higher education was predominantly for boys; however, Eiko’s exceptional grades earned her an invitation to complete a college level curriculum. Her first employment was working as a CPA in Japan. She was always good with numbers, and she was a natural at handling finances. She loved being able to help her family which included her parents, brother and two sisters. Eiko met a handsome U.S. Air Force Police Reports Editor, Randy John Tennant, who quickly impressed her with his intelligence and extreme kindness. They married in 1966 and moved to Chicago, Illinois. For the next 15 years, Eiko focused her heart on her growing family. Daughters, Barbara and Nancy, kept her busy and laughing. The threesome were often referred to as sister look-a-likes when spending weekend afternoons at the mall while Dad was home doing lawn duties. They would return home just in time to make dinner plans with him. He would always have a smile on his face listening to their stories of the day. After moving her family to Florida to escape the cold winters, Eiko began a career as a Micro Lab Technician. The position brought her much joy and many acknowledgements from the Senior Executives and Engineers at the company from 1982-1997. She was employed with this company throughout their name changes from Sperry, to Hercules Defense, to Alliant Tech Systems, to the current name Northrop Grumman. Her most exciting and rewarding work included soldering components into chassis for our Military’s Missile Guidance Systems. She installed components on printed circuit boards, did repairs, and modifications. She was a perfectionist and absolutely loved a challenge. Surprisingly, Eiko had the pleasure of knowing just how important and rewarding her skillful work was when she sat next to a woman at a concert. Through chatting, Eiko learned that this woman’s family member was in the military and his aircraft would have been shot down if it wasn't for the missile guidance system. This woman thanked and hugged her that afternoon. We were extremely proud of our mom. Eiko treasured time with her daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren and granddogs. She was affectionately called “Granny” by everyone who met her. Her caring nature for anyone in need was a blessing to witness. She loved listening to all types of music; most recently Jonas Kaufman, a German-Austrian tenor opera singer, was her favorite. Her extreme faith in God and devotion to Mary was inspirational. She will be missed tremendously by her family and friends, who are comforted knowing she entered the Kingdom of Heaven alongside her beloved Husband once again.

Tributes

Eiko (Ito) Tennant

January 26, 1940 - July 29, 2025