Popular Searches:
Kathleen Yamachi was Pat Morita’s first wife, married from 1953 to 1967. She supported the future Mr. Miyagi actor during his early career struggles in Sacramento. After their divorce, Kathleen chose a private life, raising their daughter Erin away from Hollywood’s spotlight.
Kathleen Yamachi is recognized primarily as the first wife of Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, the actor who became internationally famous for portraying Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid films. Unlike her former husband, who embraced public life, Kathleen maintained strict privacy throughout her life. This choice has left much of her personal story undocumented, though her role during Pat Morita’s formative years remains historically significant.
Born in the mid-1920s, likely around 1925 in California, Kathleen grew up during the Great Depression and World War II. These challenging times shaped a generation known for resilience and practical strength. While specific details about her family background remain scarce, her Japanese-American heritage connected her to a community that faced considerable hardships during this era.
The 1940s were particularly difficult for Japanese Americans. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Executive Order 9066 forced over 120,000 Japanese Americans into internment camps. While records don’t confirm whether Kathleen’s family was directly affected, the broader community trauma influenced the experiences of nearly all Japanese Americans of her generation.
By the early 1950s, Kathleen was about 27 years old when she met Pat Morita, then 21, in Sacramento. The six-year age gap was notable for the time, as was any relationship within the Japanese-American community still recovering from wartime displacement and discrimination.
Pat Morita had spent much of his childhood in hospitals battling tuberculosis and spinal illnesses before helping in his parents’ restaurant. When Kathleen met him, he was working long hours at the family establishment while harboring dreams of entertainment.
The couple married in 1953, though sources differ on whether the wedding occurred on June 13 or December 13. What’s certain is that they began their life together at a time when Pat’s future in entertainment was far from guaranteed.
Early in their marriage, Kathleen and Pat lived above the Morita family restaurant in Sacramento, where money was consistently tight. Kathleen often took part-time office jobs to help stabilize their household finances while Pat worked in the restaurant and pursued performance opportunities.
These were lean years marked by uncertainty. Pat faced the dual challenge of being a Japanese-American trying to break into 1950s Hollywood while managing practical survival. The entertainment industry offered few opportunities for Asian-American performers, and discrimination was overt.
According to the documentary “More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story,” once Morita had a family with Kathleen, he pursued a different career path beyond the restaurant. Kathleen’s emotional support proved crucial during this transition.
Pat himself often spoke respectfully of “my first wife, Kathleen,” acknowledging the years she supported him when he was unknown and struggling. This wasn’t merely passive encouragement. Kathleen provided the stable home environment that allowed Pat to take risks in an unpredictable field.
The couple had one daughter together, Erin, born in 1954. Raising a child added both joy and pressure to their already strained finances. Kathleen took on the primary parenting responsibilities while Pat pursued increasingly demanding performance opportunities.
Their daughter Erin later praised her mother’s strength, saying “Mom was the base of Dad’s pyramid,” acknowledging how essential her support was to both family and Pat’s career. This statement, while brief, captures Kathleen’s foundational role during these critical years.
After 14 years of marriage, Kathleen and Pat divorced in 1967. The reasons remain private, though the timing is telling. By 1967, Pat was beginning to gain more work in television, including small roles that would eventually lead to bigger opportunities.
The pressures of an entertainment career—long absences, financial instability, and the emotional toll of constant rejection—strain many marriages. While we can’t know the specific circumstances, the divorce occurred before Pat’s breakthrough roles in the 1970s.
Following the divorce, Kathleen made a deliberate choice that defined the rest of her life: complete privacy. She gave no interviews, made no public statements, and avoided any connection to Hollywood despite her ex-husband’s growing fame.
This decision stands in stark contrast to many celebrity ex-spouses who maintain public profiles. Kathleen’s absence from the public record is so complete that even basic information about her post-1967 life remains unknown. Whether she remarried, where she lived, or what work she pursued—all remain mysteries she apparently preferred to keep private.
What we do know is that she maintained a relationship with her daughter Erin, who has similarly chosen to live outside the entertainment industry’s spotlight.
Understanding Kathleen’s place in Pat’s life requires context about what came after. Pat married his second wife, Yukiye Kitahara, in 1970, though this marriage also ended in divorce in 1989. His third and final marriage to Evelyn Guerrero lasted from 1994 until he died in 2005.
According to the documentary, despite Pat’s well-documented struggles with alcoholism, Guerrero stayed married to him until he died.
Pat’s career breakthrough came in 1975 when he joined the cast of “Happy Days” as Arnold. But his defining role arrived in 1984 with “The Karate Kid.” At age 52, Pat Morita became Mr. Miyagi, earning an Academy Award nomination and worldwide recognition.
By then, Kathleen had been divorced from Pat for 17 years. She experienced none of the fame, though she had endured many of the struggles that preceded it.
Kathleen Yamachi’s story matters precisely because it’s incomplete. We know the facts: a 14-year marriage, one daughter, steadfast support during difficult years, and a deliberate choice to remain private afterward.
What we can’t know—and shouldn’t pretend to—is how Kathleen felt about these years, what sacrifices she made, or how she viewed her role in Pat’s eventual success. The respectful approach is acknowledging these limitations rather than filling gaps with speculation.
Her legacy exists in what we can verify: she was present during Pat Morita’s transformation from restaurant worker to aspiring entertainer. She provided stability when his career offered none. And when their marriage ended, she chose dignity and privacy over any potential benefits of fame-by-association.
For those interested in the personal lives behind Hollywood success stories, Kathleen Yamachi represents countless individuals whose contributions remain largely invisible. Not because they weren’t significant, but because they occurred away from cameras and press releases.
Kathleen Yamachi was the first wife of actor Pat Morita, who later became famous for playing Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid films. She was married to him from 1953 to 1967.
They married in 1953, though sources differ on whether the exact date was June 13 or December 13. They divorced in 1967 after 14 years of marriage.
Yes, they had one daughter named Erin Morita, born in 1954. Erin has chosen to live privately outside the entertainment industry.
Kathleen chose complete privacy after divorcing Pat Morita. No public records exist of her remarrying, her career, or her activities post-1967. She maintained her relationship with daughter Erin but avoided all media attention.
Pat Morita was married three times. After divorcing Kathleen in 1967, he married Yukiye Kitahara in 1970 (divorced 1989), then Evelyn Guerrero in 1994, who remained his wife until he died in 2005.
Kathleen supported Pat during his early career struggles in Sacramento, before any Hollywood success. She provided emotional and financial stability during the uncertain years when he was transitioning from restaurant work to entertainment. Family members have acknowledged her foundational role in his life.
