Passed away on June 13, 2020, at the age of 89. She is survived by daughters Aileen (Dwight) Tanabe, Amy (Richard) Bratt and Cheryl (Raymie) Miyasato; grandchildren Bryan (Jill) Tanabe, Jared (Lindsey) Miyasato, Kelli (Kelsey) Kuniyuki, Kristen Tanabe, Cori Lyn Miyasato, Shane Miyasato, Kevin Bratt, and Katherine Bratt; and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Jerry G. Private services.
Paul Teruo Fujishige
69, of Kaneohe, a Vietnam War Army veteran and retired grocery manager for the Marine Corps Commissary, passed away on February 27, 2020 at home. He was born in Hilo, Hawaii. He is survived by his wife, Carole; son, Colin; brother, Peter (Amy); and sisters, Arleen (Derrick) Arakaki, Mari (Rodney) Fukuya and Amy (Clayton) Takemoto. Private services were held.
Shoroku “Dan” Komoto
89, of Aiea, passed away peacefully at home after a long battle with cancer on June 22, 2020. He was born in Holualoa-Kona, Hawaii. Dan was an Army Veteran and retired as an Administrative Clerk from Tripler Army Medical Center. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Tsukiko (Ruth) Komoto; son, Gary (June) Komoto; daughters, Karen Workman and Carrie (Duane) Hedlind; four grand- children; six great-grandchildren and generations of nieces and nephews. Private services held. Inurnment at Punchbowl.
Libert “Lee” Yasuo Nakatsukasa
84, passed away peacefully at his home in Kailua, Oahu on Father's Day, June 21, 2020 of Parkinson's Disease, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Puunene, Maui on April 13, 1936 and raised in Haiku, he attended Maui High School and the U.H. at Manoa, enrolling in the U.S. Army ROTC, and graduating with a B.Ed. degree. Libert taught at Waiahole School, worked at the Pentagon and served as a major in Vietnam, receiving several commendations including the Bronze Star. He was a store manager for Longs Drugs, retiring after many years. He was married for 59 years to his wife Pat (Shishido), from Paia, Maui. Libert was loved and respected for his intelligence, charisma, exceptional dedication and work ethic. He enjoyed time with family and friends, fishing, growing flowers, watching sports and political news. He is survived by his wife Pat, sons Mark and Todd, daughters Shari Rezai and Lynn Kunishige, brothers Walter and Clarence, sisters Agnes Kiyuna, Helene Yamamoto and Ruth Baltch, 11 grandchildren and two great- grandchildren. Private services will be held on Thursday, July 23, 2020 at Hosoi Garden Mortuary. Private interment at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery. He will be dearly missed.
Glenn Shigeru Sato
68, of Honolulu, passed away on June 6, 2020. Born in Honolulu, he was a State of Hawaii civil engineer. He is survived by his brother, Vernon Jr.; sister, Sharon (Keith) Tamayoshi; nephews, Jay and Sean (Michelle) Tamayoshi and Erik (Jacqueline) Sato and niece, Nicole (Brandon) Ganzer. Private services held.
Takeshi Yoshihara
Captain Takeshi "Tak" Yoshihara, USN, (Ret.), died in Honolulu, HI, on 25 June 2020. He was 89 years old.
Tak was born on May 14, 1931, at Selleck, Washington, where he spent his early childhood years. In 1942, following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, his family was relocated to the Minidoka Relocation Center in Idaho where they were interned during the WW II years. After their release in September 1945, Tak attended Renton High School in the state of Washington, graduating in 1949, voted by his classmates to give the graduation speech.
He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in the summer of 1949, and graduated with distinction in 1953. A pioneer in his own right he became the first Japanese-American graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy. Subsequent to graduation he was assigned to the Navy Bureau of Yards and Docks at Port Hueneme, California. He served for 2l years in various assignments to Midway Island, Pearl Harbor, Port Hueneme and Virginia with the Navy Civil Engineer Corps before his retirement in 1974. He is a Vietnam veteran.
During his naval service he earned four academic degrees in addition to the BS from the Naval Academy: BS (civil engineering) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; MS and PhD (civil engineering) from the University of Illinois; and MBA from George Washington University.
Upon retirement from the U.S. Navy, he accepted a faculty position at the University of Hawaii where he taught civil engineering for three years. His subsequent work experience included Senior Advisor to U.S. Senator Spark Matsunaga in Washington, DC; Director (Pacific) of the U.S. Department of Energy: Director of Energy for the State of Hawaii; and Deputy Director of Business and Economic Development, State of Hawaii.
Notably during his tour in Vietnam he was formally recognized for being responsible for administration of the planning, design, and construction of ALL military programs in the Republic of Vietnam. A highpoint in that tour was oversight of the building of the Danang Airfield. While in support of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) he conducted the programming and defended the initiative establishing the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory as an official naval shore activity at Point Barrow, Alaska. During his tenure in Federal and State positions in Hawaii he was on the ground floor leading the initiatives to bring alternative energy sources to the islands in the 1980's: Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), Geothermal, Solar and Wind. The solar maps (40 years later) still retain his signature from his commissioned study on photovoltaic energy, and are used to this day in positioning solar panels within the state of Hawaii.
He is survived by his wife of 67years, the former Elva Uyeno, of Honolulu, Hawaii; sons Peter (Adrienne) and David (Chiaki); and two grandsons, Andrew (Angel) and Timothy, and great-grandson Elijah. He lived a life of gratitude to God for His blessings, and to his family, shipmates, and friends for their enduring love and devotion.
Private memorial services and inurnment at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific are yet to be determined.
Sandra “Sumiko” Yoshimoto
86, passed away peacefully in Kaneohe, Hawaii on Saturday, June 27, 2020, surrounded by her family. Sumiko was born on September 15, 1933, along with her twin sister Kuniko to parents Shichiyomon and Kazu Yoshizaki in Shioyamura, Enumagun in Ishikawa-ken Japan. She was the last remaining survivor of her seven Yoshizaki siblings: Sachie, Toshikazu, Toshio, Shoji, Mikiko, and Kuniko. She met and fell in love with Miles 'Mike' Yoshimoto in Aomori while he was stationed at Misawa AirForce Base. They married in Japan in 1960, moved back to Oahu, and enjoyed 46 years of marriage together until his passing in December 2006.
Sandra or 'Sumi-chan' completed pattern making school while in Japan. In Hawaii, she worked in sales for a few businesses: Harriet's, International Market Place in Waikiki, and ABC Stores at Ala Moana Center. She was an exceptionally talented pattern maker and seamstress. She worked for Tori Richards, briefly owned her own store 'Sandra's' in Waikiki, and finished out her career at Chanel Boutique Ala Moana Center in the late 80s-90s. She was a loyal, fun, and loving person and friend to many who remember her fondly.
She is survived by her children Sharon Yoshimoto Martin (Jarett), Eric Yoshimoto (Un); Nieces Hiromi Ozawa (Mikio), and Kiyomi Itakura, Nephew Toshihide Yoshizaki (Yuriko); and several nieces and nephews from the Yoshimoto family. Grandchildren Christina, Caleigh, Madelyn, Noah, and Noel; grandniece Karin, and grandnephew Kota.
Private memorial service was held on July 14 at Hosoi. Private Burial at Hawaiian Memorial Veteran's Cemetery to be held on July 22nd.
Marie Joanne Kajikawa
85, of Aiea, a retired customer service representative for United Airlines, passed away on March 19, 2020 at home. She was born in Novomesto, Slovenia. She is survived by her husband, Melvin, and brother, Ted (Connie) Wallace. Private services were held.
Asher T. Suzuki
86, U.S. Army Staff Master Sergeant (Ret.) Asher "Sha" Toshiyuki Suzuki passed away on June 20, 2020 Born December 4th, 1933 to Yuichi & Toshi Suzuki in Line Spur, Waianae Asher was survived by brother Duke Suzuki and Sister Betsy Yanagida.
Betty Kimie (Toda) Kajikawa
Betty, of Aiea, Hawaii, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 17, 2020, at age 99. Preceded in death by husband Reynolds "Kat", she is survived by her sons Randall (Jo-Ann) and Vernon (Lorrian); daughters Jean (Alan Yamashita) Kajikawa and Susan (Melvin) Miyamoto; brother Wilbert "Willy" Toda; four grandchildren; seven great- grandchildren; nieces and nephews. Betty graduated from McKinley High School in 1938. She worked at Libby's Cannery until it closed and was a sales checker at Penney's in Pearlridge until her retirement. The family wishes to thank Navarro's, Island Hospice and Pearl City Nursing Home staff for the special care and support provided Betty.
Services and a celebration of Betty's life will be held at a later date when it is safe to get together.