Purpose
Share your remembrances about our former classmates on this page. Contact the Site Administrator for submission information.
Stephen Murakami
Among the classmates who attended services for Feesh in December 2023 were Vernon Kajikawa, John Chong, Fay Yoshida, Naomi Kim, Carolyn Smith, Dayton Auyong, Ricky AuHoy, Frank Yap, John Lee, Barbara Yamashita, Linda Mae Onomoto, and Harvey Takemoto (UHS 64).
Eulogy from service for Feesh is printed below:
"Stephen has always loved the ocean and fishing, purchasing his very first fishing pole when he was 5 years old.
Stephen attended Star of the Sea Elementary and transferred to the University High School for the 7th grade, where he met many of his friends who are here today, graduating in 1963.
During his younger days, Steve liked to shoot pool and play pinball machines and did some bowling and then there were cars. His dad, a police chief, had a 327 Chevy but Steve’s first car was this big white ’51 Chrysler his uncle gave him. Then he got this white ’57 Chevy that he spent every waking hour fixing and when he finally got it to where he wanted, he got his draft notice.
Other than that, however, Steve spent most of his spare time in the water, whether it was swimming, body surfing, diving or his real love, fishing.
Stephen began serving a 6-year enlistment in the Navy’s Submarine Service in November of 1964. His Military Occupational Specialty was the Theoretical and Practical knowledge of Nuclear Electronics. One of his assignments was in the submariner’s dream state of Montana.
After his enlistment was completed, Stephen majored in Engineering Management at the University of Hawaii.
While attending UH, Stephen met and later married Janice Yuriko Yamashita on August 11th of 1972.
In 1975, Steve graduated from UH with an Engineering degree and went to work for Dillingham Shipyard.
He later went on to work at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard as an engineer and along with his service in the Navy, he retired with 40 years of service.
Along with fishing, Steve loved to cook and sing karaoke.
He also played penny ante poker with his Hui friends for the better part of 50 years. Although he would always deal the same game, he would preface his deal with “I’m going to deal a game you guys have never played before…”
He will always be remembered."
Eulogy from service for Feesh is printed below:
"Stephen has always loved the ocean and fishing, purchasing his very first fishing pole when he was 5 years old.
Stephen attended Star of the Sea Elementary and transferred to the University High School for the 7th grade, where he met many of his friends who are here today, graduating in 1963.
During his younger days, Steve liked to shoot pool and play pinball machines and did some bowling and then there were cars. His dad, a police chief, had a 327 Chevy but Steve’s first car was this big white ’51 Chrysler his uncle gave him. Then he got this white ’57 Chevy that he spent every waking hour fixing and when he finally got it to where he wanted, he got his draft notice.
Other than that, however, Steve spent most of his spare time in the water, whether it was swimming, body surfing, diving or his real love, fishing.
Stephen began serving a 6-year enlistment in the Navy’s Submarine Service in November of 1964. His Military Occupational Specialty was the Theoretical and Practical knowledge of Nuclear Electronics. One of his assignments was in the submariner’s dream state of Montana.
After his enlistment was completed, Stephen majored in Engineering Management at the University of Hawaii.
While attending UH, Stephen met and later married Janice Yuriko Yamashita on August 11th of 1972.
In 1975, Steve graduated from UH with an Engineering degree and went to work for Dillingham Shipyard.
He later went on to work at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard as an engineer and along with his service in the Navy, he retired with 40 years of service.
Along with fishing, Steve loved to cook and sing karaoke.
He also played penny ante poker with his Hui friends for the better part of 50 years. Although he would always deal the same game, he would preface his deal with “I’m going to deal a game you guys have never played before…”
He will always be remembered."
Lynne Kaori O'Connor
How "Lynne" became "Kaori" in her own words from her Who Dat? submission. "You guys are the only people who still call me ‘Lynne’ and this is why. One summer after graduation, in an attempt to save me from the surf, my parents sent me to the cannery. It was a pineapple-flavored nightmare, and made the beach look even better than it had before. After eight or more hours of trimming pine day after day, you become desperate to claw something positive out of the experience. Flash of insight. One thing I could do was dump the name I had always hated, and use my middle name instead. So right there on the trimming table, chop-chop-chop, the first name disappeared. Enter Kaori."
We selected our class song during our Junior year ("The High and the Mighty"), and Lynne stepped to the plate and wrote the lyrics to our class song! What a powerful message she prepared for all of us! (Submitted by Vernon)
I did not get to know Lynne well during our high school years. However, the one interaction I had with her was during our Senior year when we were talking about our college choices. Lynne told me she was going to Reed College in Oregon and they were an “ungraded” school. Not fully understanding what that meant (I thought they did not have any type of system of evaluating performance) my admiration for Lynne grew because she did not have to worry about grades anymore. Duuuhhh, what did I know! It was only later that I fully had the opportunity to interact with Kaori as she exchanged information about Japanese genealogy and information for her articles on the class website. (Submitted by Miles)
So sorry to hear about Kaori (and Miss Kunioka). I had a little correspondence with Kaori after reading her contribution to the 50th reunion. Here is one article of hers.
Thanks for keeping us in the loop.
Aloha,
Bill Beppu
Thanks for keeping me in the loop. I still remember fondly the 50 th reunion.
Sad to hear about the loss of many of our classmates.
Bob DeForest
We selected our class song during our Junior year ("The High and the Mighty"), and Lynne stepped to the plate and wrote the lyrics to our class song! What a powerful message she prepared for all of us! (Submitted by Vernon)
I did not get to know Lynne well during our high school years. However, the one interaction I had with her was during our Senior year when we were talking about our college choices. Lynne told me she was going to Reed College in Oregon and they were an “ungraded” school. Not fully understanding what that meant (I thought they did not have any type of system of evaluating performance) my admiration for Lynne grew because she did not have to worry about grades anymore. Duuuhhh, what did I know! It was only later that I fully had the opportunity to interact with Kaori as she exchanged information about Japanese genealogy and information for her articles on the class website. (Submitted by Miles)
So sorry to hear about Kaori (and Miss Kunioka). I had a little correspondence with Kaori after reading her contribution to the 50th reunion. Here is one article of hers.
Thanks for keeping us in the loop.
Aloha,
Bill Beppu
Thanks for keeping me in the loop. I still remember fondly the 50 th reunion.
Sad to hear about the loss of many of our classmates.
Bob DeForest
Perhaps the first time I really spoke to Lynne was in UICSM 1. We sat next to each other and seemed to have the same grasp of the subject matter. When I first saw her middle name, Kaori, I scribbled on her book, “Kaori?” I had never heard of that name before and thought it might be Egyptian or something and maybe there was a story there. She in turn scribbles, “Sau Wing? And that was that. Little could I know that 50+ years later, Lynne would uncover the meaning of my middle name, Sau Wing. Her name, Kaori, which meant fragrance weaver, was given to her by her grandmother.
Prior to our 50th reunion back in 2013, the Reunion Committee made a concerted effort to contact as many classmates as we could. One person I reached out to was Lynne. Using the e-mail address she had posted on Lanning Lee’s website, we started an on-going correspondence which covered many subjects. She was very enthusiastic about rejoining the class, in spirit if not in person. She had not been back to Hawaii in many years and was happy to hear of news from home. Some of the things we chatted about:
Genealogy
One of her great grandfathers was a New England whaling captain turned sugar planter. Her Japanese great grandfather came to Hawaii to make his fortune leaving Lynne’s grandfather behind with the grandparents. The grandfather came to Hawaii later and attended Iolani to learn English. His brothers and sisters, who were born in Hawaii had all done well, a dentist, a doctor and one of the first Japanese to be elected to the Hawaii legislature. A great aunt went to Columbia to become a journalist. Lynne’s grandfather eventually inherited the businesses but when the war broke out…
Her mom and her brothers and sisters attended Punahou and were the first Japanese to be admitted. Academically, they found it fine but they found the racial prejudice there was unpleasant.
Then the grandmother returned to Japan so the children could receive a proper Japanese education. The extended period in Japan was long enough for them to forget how to speak English. Seeing war on the horizon, her grandmother moved everyone back to the islands.
Her Mom and her siblings had to go to Mid Pacific for an intensive English refresher course. By the time they were re-programmed, Japan was over-running Asia, and anti-Japanese sentiment in the islands was running very high, so there was no question of going back to Punahou and they ended up at Roosevelt.
Lynne had some surprises when she did her DNA test. The 47% Japanese was not a surprise or that she was 5% Native American (Mi Wuk). What was surprising was that she was more Chinese than Irish.
Career
She graduated from Reed College and went on to Oxford University.
Following Oxford, she won a job on Vogue through the Vogue Talent Contest, going on to become the founding editor of The Fashion Guide and author of a number of books. Later, as editorial director of the-then independent scholarly publisher Kegan Paul, she was responsible for the acclaimed series Pacific Basin Books. Returning to the academy, she won ESRC doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships and her doctorate was awarded in 2004 by UCL where she was a senior research fellow. She appeared frequently on radio and television and contributed to newspapers and magazines. In 2009 she won the prestigious Sophie Coe Award and in 2011 she won the Pasold Award.
Kaori O’Connor was an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Anthropology, University College London. Her specialty was the anthropology of food. She was last working on a cultural history of the Hawaiian Luau for the Oxford University Press.
Food
For some unknown reason, they don't do prime rib in England, only in one super luxury American hotel, the Carlton. If you hear about English roast beef it is not a match to American prime rib. The English also don’t do eggnog.
Lynne remembered old folks making a pupu out of abalone from the can with sliced onions and chili peppers. She would not go near anything calling itself abalone in the U.K.
She used to love the stadium shave ice, fine, her favorite being half strawberry, half orange. Her favorite plate lunch was curry sloshed over two scoops of macaroni salad and one of rice. Best at the beach with a fruit punch, large with plenny ice. But what she missed, more than anything else, was old fashioned gon lo mein with crispy gau gee- big platter of fried noodles with lots of char siu on the top - you can't get that anywhere in London. She was not a big fan of Japanese food. Lynne took her late husband to the Kewalo Basin lunch wagons, and was not surprised he was not enthusiastic about the experience.
How did YOU get to UHS?
Reminiscing, I mentioned one of the little guys I remembered from the University Pre-school that left, was the son of Spencer Tinker, the longtime head honcho at the Honolulu Aquarium.
Lynne’s story of how she got into UHS started with growing up in Waikiki and attended Jefferson school there. One of her Jefferson classmates got a place at UHS, then at the last minute, he was offered a place at Punahou. His mom knew Lynne’s mom, and she suggested her mom put Lynne forward to take her son’s place. Her mother did and, being the last minute, UHS, said “yes”.
But here’s the thing. Back then, they liked to have balances of ethnicities and gender.
Lyn is a boy’s name too. They took down the name as ‘Lyn O’Connor’ and thought they were getting a haole boy, like the one that went to Punahou. Imagine their surprise on the first day when Lynne showed up. But too late to do anything about it, so…
Turns out, the boy who went to Punahou was George Spencer, one of the guys I remembered from pre-school.
Lynne is survived by her daughter, Kira Hopkins who, like her mom, received her PhD from Oxford. Kira’s field of study is archeology. (Submitted by John Chong)
Prior to our 50th reunion back in 2013, the Reunion Committee made a concerted effort to contact as many classmates as we could. One person I reached out to was Lynne. Using the e-mail address she had posted on Lanning Lee’s website, we started an on-going correspondence which covered many subjects. She was very enthusiastic about rejoining the class, in spirit if not in person. She had not been back to Hawaii in many years and was happy to hear of news from home. Some of the things we chatted about:
Genealogy
One of her great grandfathers was a New England whaling captain turned sugar planter. Her Japanese great grandfather came to Hawaii to make his fortune leaving Lynne’s grandfather behind with the grandparents. The grandfather came to Hawaii later and attended Iolani to learn English. His brothers and sisters, who were born in Hawaii had all done well, a dentist, a doctor and one of the first Japanese to be elected to the Hawaii legislature. A great aunt went to Columbia to become a journalist. Lynne’s grandfather eventually inherited the businesses but when the war broke out…
Her mom and her brothers and sisters attended Punahou and were the first Japanese to be admitted. Academically, they found it fine but they found the racial prejudice there was unpleasant.
Then the grandmother returned to Japan so the children could receive a proper Japanese education. The extended period in Japan was long enough for them to forget how to speak English. Seeing war on the horizon, her grandmother moved everyone back to the islands.
Her Mom and her siblings had to go to Mid Pacific for an intensive English refresher course. By the time they were re-programmed, Japan was over-running Asia, and anti-Japanese sentiment in the islands was running very high, so there was no question of going back to Punahou and they ended up at Roosevelt.
Lynne had some surprises when she did her DNA test. The 47% Japanese was not a surprise or that she was 5% Native American (Mi Wuk). What was surprising was that she was more Chinese than Irish.
Career
She graduated from Reed College and went on to Oxford University.
Following Oxford, she won a job on Vogue through the Vogue Talent Contest, going on to become the founding editor of The Fashion Guide and author of a number of books. Later, as editorial director of the-then independent scholarly publisher Kegan Paul, she was responsible for the acclaimed series Pacific Basin Books. Returning to the academy, she won ESRC doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships and her doctorate was awarded in 2004 by UCL where she was a senior research fellow. She appeared frequently on radio and television and contributed to newspapers and magazines. In 2009 she won the prestigious Sophie Coe Award and in 2011 she won the Pasold Award.
Kaori O’Connor was an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Anthropology, University College London. Her specialty was the anthropology of food. She was last working on a cultural history of the Hawaiian Luau for the Oxford University Press.
Food
For some unknown reason, they don't do prime rib in England, only in one super luxury American hotel, the Carlton. If you hear about English roast beef it is not a match to American prime rib. The English also don’t do eggnog.
Lynne remembered old folks making a pupu out of abalone from the can with sliced onions and chili peppers. She would not go near anything calling itself abalone in the U.K.
She used to love the stadium shave ice, fine, her favorite being half strawberry, half orange. Her favorite plate lunch was curry sloshed over two scoops of macaroni salad and one of rice. Best at the beach with a fruit punch, large with plenny ice. But what she missed, more than anything else, was old fashioned gon lo mein with crispy gau gee- big platter of fried noodles with lots of char siu on the top - you can't get that anywhere in London. She was not a big fan of Japanese food. Lynne took her late husband to the Kewalo Basin lunch wagons, and was not surprised he was not enthusiastic about the experience.
How did YOU get to UHS?
Reminiscing, I mentioned one of the little guys I remembered from the University Pre-school that left, was the son of Spencer Tinker, the longtime head honcho at the Honolulu Aquarium.
Lynne’s story of how she got into UHS started with growing up in Waikiki and attended Jefferson school there. One of her Jefferson classmates got a place at UHS, then at the last minute, he was offered a place at Punahou. His mom knew Lynne’s mom, and she suggested her mom put Lynne forward to take her son’s place. Her mother did and, being the last minute, UHS, said “yes”.
But here’s the thing. Back then, they liked to have balances of ethnicities and gender.
Lyn is a boy’s name too. They took down the name as ‘Lyn O’Connor’ and thought they were getting a haole boy, like the one that went to Punahou. Imagine their surprise on the first day when Lynne showed up. But too late to do anything about it, so…
Turns out, the boy who went to Punahou was George Spencer, one of the guys I remembered from pre-school.
Lynne is survived by her daughter, Kira Hopkins who, like her mom, received her PhD from Oxford. Kira’s field of study is archeology. (Submitted by John Chong)
Miss Shizumi Kunioka
I’m so glad that she attended our class activities as often as we invited her. The more I chatted with her, the more I realized how much she loved all of the students at UHS, and therefore ran the best cafeteria possible. Also, whenever we spoke, she always said to extend her “aloha” to our classmates and how much she cared for all of us. Now for Miss Kunioka’s secret: “Broccoli is not my friend”. Since I knew that broccoli was not her favorite food, I will always remember her cute, nonverbal reaction to my comment, “ … and don’t forget to eat all your broccoli … !” when we last chatted on her 100th Birthday! Lastly, I’m really happy that Miss Kunioka agreed to our visiting her on her 100th birthday. It was a very special day for many of us! As I run into graduates from UHS, I’ve concluded that Miss Kunioka is indeed, a school legend! (Submitted by Vernon)
A person expects to learn from their teachers when they go to school. For those who worked in Miss Kunioka’s cafeteria we learned life lessons as an added bonus. We also experienced the virtues of hard work and doing a good job no matter our assigned task while working in the cafeteria under the watchful eye of Miss Kunioka and her assistants. The esteem in which she was held by all who knew her is evidenced by all the extended invitations to class reunions and functions to her, and by the many who remembered her as a school memory of their high school years. Her prodigious memory was legendary. She will be missed. (Submitted by Miles)
Thank you. Sorry to hear. Glad she made 100 yrs. (Submitted by Vince)
This is sad news but it's also a reminder of how blessed we've been to have Miss Kunioka in our lives for a wonderfully long time. Rest in Aloha and peace, Miss Kunioka. (Submitted by Barbara)
Miss Kunioka:
Some memories of a long time ago:
I remember emptying those little “slop” cans into the big trash cans and washing them out as a 5th grader. The 6th grader decided that she didn’t want to deal with it, so she left me to do it by myself.
I remember buttering the bread and wiping down the trays.
I was never entrusted me with any of the more important jobs like washing the trays in the dishwasher.
I remember loading boxes of your gallon cans, for mom, to do some of her planting.
I remember senior year, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving… .I had completed a written assignment for American Problems but unfortunately, the paper that was due that day was for English. I had not typed the paper yet and was a tad concerned BUT that was your Turkey day and I was not going to miss that!! Those days, we could actually order 2 meals, which is what I did and enjoyed every bit of it. After lunch, I jumped into my car, drove home, typed my paper as quickly as I could and dropped it into the teacher’s slot in the office and was just a little late for Speech class. The teacher never asked me why I was late. The English teacher gave me a B+ because of all the typos but it was worth it as I was able to enjoy your Thanksgiving turkey lunch!!
I remember you serving sandwiches and soup on those stormy days.
My favorites besides the turkey lunch were the Spaghetti, Spanish rice, and Tuna Macaroni.
I remember you packing some Spaghetti or Spanish rice in a Love’s brown bread wrapper and giving it to me to take home…
One of my most favorite memories was at your retirement celebration on the Elementary School field. We thought it was most disrespectful when the underclassmen referred to you as “Kuni”. As everyone went through the reception line, when I finally got to the front, I remember you turning to your sister and telling her that “this is John and he has 2 brothers, James and Joseph”. What was remarkable was that it was probably 20 years since we graduated and we had not been back. How you can remember everyone’s names and faces is just awesome! As an example, I was on one of Sharon Soper’s HAL flights and she did not recognize me and we had been together since preschool.
I didn’t know that you knew my mom that long ago. I remember how you told people that you knew me before I was born….
We hope you had a warm and memorable Birthday and wish for you to have many more.
Aloha and Malama Pono Miss Kunioka!! (Submitted by John Chong)
Some memories of a long time ago:
I remember emptying those little “slop” cans into the big trash cans and washing them out as a 5th grader. The 6th grader decided that she didn’t want to deal with it, so she left me to do it by myself.
I remember buttering the bread and wiping down the trays.
I was never entrusted me with any of the more important jobs like washing the trays in the dishwasher.
I remember loading boxes of your gallon cans, for mom, to do some of her planting.
I remember senior year, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving… .I had completed a written assignment for American Problems but unfortunately, the paper that was due that day was for English. I had not typed the paper yet and was a tad concerned BUT that was your Turkey day and I was not going to miss that!! Those days, we could actually order 2 meals, which is what I did and enjoyed every bit of it. After lunch, I jumped into my car, drove home, typed my paper as quickly as I could and dropped it into the teacher’s slot in the office and was just a little late for Speech class. The teacher never asked me why I was late. The English teacher gave me a B+ because of all the typos but it was worth it as I was able to enjoy your Thanksgiving turkey lunch!!
I remember you serving sandwiches and soup on those stormy days.
My favorites besides the turkey lunch were the Spaghetti, Spanish rice, and Tuna Macaroni.
I remember you packing some Spaghetti or Spanish rice in a Love’s brown bread wrapper and giving it to me to take home…
One of my most favorite memories was at your retirement celebration on the Elementary School field. We thought it was most disrespectful when the underclassmen referred to you as “Kuni”. As everyone went through the reception line, when I finally got to the front, I remember you turning to your sister and telling her that “this is John and he has 2 brothers, James and Joseph”. What was remarkable was that it was probably 20 years since we graduated and we had not been back. How you can remember everyone’s names and faces is just awesome! As an example, I was on one of Sharon Soper’s HAL flights and she did not recognize me and we had been together since preschool.
I didn’t know that you knew my mom that long ago. I remember how you told people that you knew me before I was born….
We hope you had a warm and memorable Birthday and wish for you to have many more.
Aloha and Malama Pono Miss Kunioka!! (Submitted by John Chong)
Ken (Bongo) Chun
I will always remember his bright smile, his special haircut (we had something in common!), and how he always looked so fit over all of these years (he never aged). I’ll always remember his story of how he put his sleeping bag near Fay’ s when they were in kindergarten during nap time. Bongo’s graduation from VMI is noteworthy. Thank you for serving our nation as an Air Force Officer. (Submitted by Vernon)
My memory of Bongo was the Plymouth Valiant he drove to school because I thought it was great that he had his own car - I had to share a clunker with my older brother. His smile is something I will always remember because Bongo had that look that “he knew something you did not”. The few times during our reunion we did talk was about his time at VMI and in the Air Force and also his working at Toshiba’s restaurant in Kealakekua, Kona. Bongo, thank you for your service. (Submitted by Miles)
Thank you sharing Miles. And posting those photos. What a tribute!
May Kenny Rest In Peace. (Submitted by Frank)
So sorry to hear of Ken's passing. I knew him since elementary. He was such a gentle person. He has been in my prayers. I hope he went peacefully. (Submitted by Linda Mae)
My memory of Bongo was the Plymouth Valiant he drove to school because I thought it was great that he had his own car - I had to share a clunker with my older brother. His smile is something I will always remember because Bongo had that look that “he knew something you did not”. The few times during our reunion we did talk was about his time at VMI and in the Air Force and also his working at Toshiba’s restaurant in Kealakekua, Kona. Bongo, thank you for your service. (Submitted by Miles)
Thank you sharing Miles. And posting those photos. What a tribute!
May Kenny Rest In Peace. (Submitted by Frank)
So sorry to hear of Ken's passing. I knew him since elementary. He was such a gentle person. He has been in my prayers. I hope he went peacefully. (Submitted by Linda Mae)
Jerry Park
Gerald Joseph Park
June 28, 1945 - August 9, 2021
Gerald Joseph Park, 76, of Honolulu, passed away surrounded by loved ones on August 9, 2021.
He was born in Honolulu on June 28, 1945, graduated from University Laboratory School and served in the United States Army. He is survived by wife Claire, daughters Kim Davis (Jed), Ashley Lagestee (Dave) and Linley Park (James), grandchildren Tiana, Sierra, Hezekiah, Gracie, Malie, Kailia, Mahina, Jameson, Kamaile and Ezra, brother Craig Park, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father Joseph Park, mother Dorothy Park and sister Althea Dayley. Due to COVID restrictions, private services will be held.
(Obituary from Diamond Head Mortuary. Go to this link for Diamond Head Mortuary to leave a remembrance or tribute https://www.diamondheadmortuary.net/obituaries/Gerald-Park-2/#!/TributeWall)
SUGI, WALLER, JC, JERRY PARK, VERN
Ron Sakimura
He was one of those tough “harassers” @ UH that made my graduating ROTC class better. Fortunately, he left me alone during those nasty Saturday ROTC activities. Thank heavens we were “friends”!!! (submitted by Vern)
Ron was a decorated RANGER and served in Vietnam. RANGER School is the toughest school in the Army and has a completion rate of 20% so that goes to show how good a soldier Ron was. Thank you for your service. (submitted by Miles)
REST IN PEACE. (submitted by Ricky and JC)
Ron was a decorated RANGER and served in Vietnam. RANGER School is the toughest school in the Army and has a completion rate of 20% so that goes to show how good a soldier Ron was. Thank you for your service. (submitted by Miles)
REST IN PEACE. (submitted by Ricky and JC)
Sandra Ching
Sandra started at UHS in the seventh grade and was in classroom 7-207.
When Sandee comes to mind, I think about “style and grace”! Fun? It was Sandee’s idea to have a “white elephant” at our 30th reunion (the one @ Darlene’s recreation center). She had that “special” lamp that she wanted to share with the classmates. That lamp was so special that it made its rounds in many more white elephants after that. But I’ll always remember Sandee for her comments when we launched our fund raiser (“Strive for $25K”) when she said: My question..what took so long??…check is in the mail…a VERY Worthy cause!!! (Submitted by Vernon)
Sandee wrote this in my 1963 Uniki on the first page of the Senior Class section: I had to choose this page because it is the beginning of our tribute to the most terrific Senior Class UHS has ever seen - the Class of ’63. (Submitted by Miles)
You Tube video of funeral service on May 15, 2021 at youtu.be/Ad8pV-hf8ZI
Thank you for the beautiful tribute to a beautiful lady. I will always remember Sandee's style and grace in high school and especially her laugh. I always wished I could have had her sophisticated laughter. (Submitted by Diane)
Mahalo for the beautiful tribute to Sandee... She was always so gracious..❤️ (Submitted by Naomi)
When Sandee comes to mind, I think about “style and grace”! Fun? It was Sandee’s idea to have a “white elephant” at our 30th reunion (the one @ Darlene’s recreation center). She had that “special” lamp that she wanted to share with the classmates. That lamp was so special that it made its rounds in many more white elephants after that. But I’ll always remember Sandee for her comments when we launched our fund raiser (“Strive for $25K”) when she said: My question..what took so long??…check is in the mail…a VERY Worthy cause!!! (Submitted by Vernon)
Sandee wrote this in my 1963 Uniki on the first page of the Senior Class section: I had to choose this page because it is the beginning of our tribute to the most terrific Senior Class UHS has ever seen - the Class of ’63. (Submitted by Miles)
You Tube video of funeral service on May 15, 2021 at youtu.be/Ad8pV-hf8ZI
Thank you for the beautiful tribute to a beautiful lady. I will always remember Sandee's style and grace in high school and especially her laugh. I always wished I could have had her sophisticated laughter. (Submitted by Diane)
Mahalo for the beautiful tribute to Sandee... She was always so gracious..❤️ (Submitted by Naomi)
Rae Tanabe
Rae Tanabe joined the Class of ’63 during our junior year. Although she was with our class for only two years, Rae made an impact with her quiet demeanor and intelligence. She was our class speaker at our graduation ceremony in June and used a quote from Lao-tzu, “The wise man knows…that there is no limit to dimensions” as her theme.
This is a link to Rae’s obituary and it shows she continued her scholastic achievements at the University of Hawaii with initiation into the Phi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board societies. edwardsmemorial.com/tribute/details/23387/Rae-Iwamoto/obituary.html#tribute-start
(Submitted by Miles)
I just checked my annuals and it looks like Rae joined our class during our junior year. And imagine, in our Jr. Class’ hoss election, she was voted most likely to succeed along with Donald (must be some truth to God takes our best first … we’ll be around for a while!!!)! Also, Rae’s brother George graduated with the Class of ’61 (Lloyd Sueda, Tad Iwanuma, Linda Murakami, Lorene Chun, etc., etc.). Apparently, he transferred to UHS from Wailua HS during his senior year.
(Submitted by Vern)
So sad to hear of Rae's passing.
(Submitted by LMO)
This is a link to Rae’s obituary and it shows she continued her scholastic achievements at the University of Hawaii with initiation into the Phi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board societies. edwardsmemorial.com/tribute/details/23387/Rae-Iwamoto/obituary.html#tribute-start
(Submitted by Miles)
I just checked my annuals and it looks like Rae joined our class during our junior year. And imagine, in our Jr. Class’ hoss election, she was voted most likely to succeed along with Donald (must be some truth to God takes our best first … we’ll be around for a while!!!)! Also, Rae’s brother George graduated with the Class of ’61 (Lloyd Sueda, Tad Iwanuma, Linda Murakami, Lorene Chun, etc., etc.). Apparently, he transferred to UHS from Wailua HS during his senior year.
(Submitted by Vern)
So sad to hear of Rae's passing.
(Submitted by LMO)
Lambert Thom
From: Sandra Ohara <[email protected]>
Subject: Sad announcement to get out to our classmates
Date: October 29, 2019 at 12:03:14 PM HST
I just learned this morning that Lambert passed away (in CA) rather unexpectedly over the weekend. He was supposed to be here from Saturday, Oct 26 for about a week because he had contacted me a couple weeks ago and asked if I was going to be in town so we could get together. I had been trying to reach him since Saturday to see what date he had open and one of his close friends just contacted me with the news that he never made it into town since he passed suddenly. I guess it hit me and I'm saddened since we have been close since college and afterwards and I had spent time at his home and enjoyed his gourmet cooking before his health went downhill so much.
It's hard when one of "us" passes because that just makes you realize how precious life is and how unexpected events happen. Just remember to live each day to the fullest and to love and appreciate everyone around you.
Thanks for getting this message out to everyone for me.
Sandra
Thanks for the update. Sad to hear but that's where we will all end up. It seemed to me that Lambert lived life with gusto. May he sail on smoothly.
LMO
Miles,
thank you for the information on Lambert.
My prayers are with his family and loved ones during this sad time
God bless Lambert.
Marjorie Clark Mattos
Mahalo Miles,
Sad to her about Lambert.
Prayers and Blessings to all.
Me Kealoha Pumehana,
Nae
Lambert will be missed by all!
May he Rest In Peace
WATA
vincent lee
So sorry about Lambert’s transition. Hope he is a better place & able to run freely.
Vernon Kajikawa
Nice thoughts Vince! I remember we couldn’t hold him back from being active!
Miles,
Lamby grew up in the Makiki neighborhood so I knew him before he became our classmate. His family lived near Paul Inoue's family and Lamby's brother Lowell delivered our Star Bulletin.
Just a lttle bit of Makiki trivia that Walt Fong and I share. I believe Lowell Thom was Dave Fong's classmate at Roosevelt High. And....Peter Inoue was my sister's classmate at UHS.
Kenneth Chun
Ran into Sandra couple of weeks ago & saddened to hear of Lambert’s passing. One of the things I remember about him is his brilliant mind, witty sense of humor, and how he lived life full on!
May he and his loved loved ones be blessed.
Jade Young
He may have been small in stature but he was a giant in spirit and heart. I never knew him to give an inch when he was right and he was right more times than not. Lambert’s intellect was unmatched in a group of many superior ones.
Miles
Thanks for keeping us updated about Lambert. It wasn’t that far away to Tiburon from the mid peninsula but I never saw him there. Left for Olympia in 1977 and only a few trips back there since then. Last time was just this past June and we visited the church where Diana and I were married in 1976. Ate at one of our favorite places, Chef Chu’s and saw old owner Larry Chu who is the father of John Chu who produced Crazy Rich Asians. He still remembered us from 45 years ago!
Best to all-
Bill Beppu
Thanks for this Miles. I didn’t know Lambert well but I always admired his spirit,
and I would be very grateful if you could convey my condolences and best wishes
to his family, and to let our classmates know that I am there with them in spirit.
Mahalo,
Kaori
Vernon Kajikawa, Vince Lee, James Oda, Jim MacDonald, Barbara Centeio, Jade Young, Fay Yamashita, Ricky AuHoy, Linda Mae Onomoto, Dennis Sugihara, and Sandra Aoki attended services and a luncheon for Lambert on February 1, 2020.
Subject: Sad announcement to get out to our classmates
Date: October 29, 2019 at 12:03:14 PM HST
I just learned this morning that Lambert passed away (in CA) rather unexpectedly over the weekend. He was supposed to be here from Saturday, Oct 26 for about a week because he had contacted me a couple weeks ago and asked if I was going to be in town so we could get together. I had been trying to reach him since Saturday to see what date he had open and one of his close friends just contacted me with the news that he never made it into town since he passed suddenly. I guess it hit me and I'm saddened since we have been close since college and afterwards and I had spent time at his home and enjoyed his gourmet cooking before his health went downhill so much.
It's hard when one of "us" passes because that just makes you realize how precious life is and how unexpected events happen. Just remember to live each day to the fullest and to love and appreciate everyone around you.
Thanks for getting this message out to everyone for me.
Sandra
Thanks for the update. Sad to hear but that's where we will all end up. It seemed to me that Lambert lived life with gusto. May he sail on smoothly.
LMO
Miles,
thank you for the information on Lambert.
My prayers are with his family and loved ones during this sad time
God bless Lambert.
Marjorie Clark Mattos
Mahalo Miles,
Sad to her about Lambert.
Prayers and Blessings to all.
Me Kealoha Pumehana,
Nae
Lambert will be missed by all!
May he Rest In Peace
WATA
vincent lee
So sorry about Lambert’s transition. Hope he is a better place & able to run freely.
Vernon Kajikawa
Nice thoughts Vince! I remember we couldn’t hold him back from being active!
Miles,
Lamby grew up in the Makiki neighborhood so I knew him before he became our classmate. His family lived near Paul Inoue's family and Lamby's brother Lowell delivered our Star Bulletin.
Just a lttle bit of Makiki trivia that Walt Fong and I share. I believe Lowell Thom was Dave Fong's classmate at Roosevelt High. And....Peter Inoue was my sister's classmate at UHS.
Kenneth Chun
Ran into Sandra couple of weeks ago & saddened to hear of Lambert’s passing. One of the things I remember about him is his brilliant mind, witty sense of humor, and how he lived life full on!
May he and his loved loved ones be blessed.
Jade Young
He may have been small in stature but he was a giant in spirit and heart. I never knew him to give an inch when he was right and he was right more times than not. Lambert’s intellect was unmatched in a group of many superior ones.
Miles
Thanks for keeping us updated about Lambert. It wasn’t that far away to Tiburon from the mid peninsula but I never saw him there. Left for Olympia in 1977 and only a few trips back there since then. Last time was just this past June and we visited the church where Diana and I were married in 1976. Ate at one of our favorite places, Chef Chu’s and saw old owner Larry Chu who is the father of John Chu who produced Crazy Rich Asians. He still remembered us from 45 years ago!
Best to all-
Bill Beppu
Thanks for this Miles. I didn’t know Lambert well but I always admired his spirit,
and I would be very grateful if you could convey my condolences and best wishes
to his family, and to let our classmates know that I am there with them in spirit.
Mahalo,
Kaori
Vernon Kajikawa, Vince Lee, James Oda, Jim MacDonald, Barbara Centeio, Jade Young, Fay Yamashita, Ricky AuHoy, Linda Mae Onomoto, Dennis Sugihara, and Sandra Aoki attended services and a luncheon for Lambert on February 1, 2020.
Ann Reid Slaby
Ann was very proud of the accomplishments of graduates from our high school. She was especially proud of the accomplishments of world-renowned opera star, Quinn Kelsey, also a graduate of our high school. I had the opportunity to see Kelsey perform in Rigoletto at the Chicago Lyric Opera in October 2016 and sent her the program and other items about Kelsey's career. I'm sure Ann was very happy that a UHS alum had the opportunity to see what talented graduates came from our school. (Submitted by Miles Nakashima)
How I miss her, it doesn't feel like she is not still here. Suddenly I can see her so clearly, always back in our UHS days, right there in class, on the balcony....
I think it was the last reunion, or maybe the one before - she wanted to get a nice muumuu, a 'proper' one, to wear to the events. It made her think of happy times at UHS. Fashions had changed but she tracked one down at Ward Warehouse, now gone I know, and was so happy with it, and to be with all of you again, wearing it and revisiting the old days. (Submitted by Kaori O'Connor)
Only while trying to round up classmates for reunions did Ann and I start to chat.
Ann’s family moved to Hawaii when she was 6 years old. Her father had gotten a transfer to Pearl Harbor.
Her mother, Della F. Reid, worked as a scientist on Coconut Island. She was always a swimmer and took up snorkeling and did a lot around the reefs of Coconut Island and Hanauma Bay. She learned how to scuba dive and was a NAUI certified diver. She said she always carried her fins, mask and snorkel whenever she came back home to Hawaii.
When her mom wanted to return to the mainland, her father preferred to stay in Hawaii and eventually remarried. Her father and step mom resided at the Arcadia where several classmates also had a parent or parents residing.
Upon contacting her, she much wanted to know how to get in touch with Robert DeForest and (Lynne) Kaori O’Connor.
She contacted me because the San Francisco Chronicle had a Sunday “Where Is It” contest where they showed a photo of Hawaii and Ann decided she wanted to enter. I “helped” her when I could and the contest went on for several weeks. The prizes, however, were not very special as one was some stale Hawaiian candy. But she won quite a few and was also able to post a short story or anecdote of her experience with the location e.g. she had gone to a summer camp at Kokee on Kauai.
She also wanted to get a print of a photograph Ansel Adams took of her mom. She knew that First Hawaiian Bank had a print but no one seemed to know where it eventually went. She did find one and there is an article by Honolulu Museum of Art.HomeScientist Della Reid: The story behind an Ansel Adams Hawai‘i photograph. Scientist Della Reid: The story behind an Ansel Adams Hawai‘i photograph
Posted 5 years ago by Lesa Griffith is reproduced below.
"In November, California-based attorney and epidemiologist Ann Slaby, who was on O‘ahu for a high school reunion, visited the museum, as she usually does when in town. She was looking forward to seeing Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: The Hawai‘i Pictures—for a very personal reason. In 1958, Ansel Adams photographed her mother, Della Fisher Reid, for the book Islands of Hawai‘i. (The final published image is pictured below.)
“When I saw the copy of the book in the glass case in the exhibition, I was fully expecting to run into my mother’s photograph, and I was surprised when I didn’t,” Slaby said in a phone conversation last week. She then wrote a kind letter to Theresa Papanikolas, curator of the exhibition and the museum’s curator of European and American art, to share “details of a photo that was not chosen.”
Slaby revealed that the photograph of her mother in the book “was among the many photos Ansel Adams took on Coconut Island, where my mother worked for the Marine Laboratory in the 1950s. The photo is her portrait of her dissecting a radioactive fish. Some of the studies she, along with her co-workers, did found out how fish metabolize radioactive materials. This knowledge is useful when fish are in a environment polluted with radioactive waste and pick up a radioactive isotope directly from the sea water, by way of the skin, gills, or by swallowing the sea water. The sea outside the Fukushima power plants comes immediately to mind.”
“A woman scientist was very unusual in the 1950s. My mother was a student at UC Berkeley in Chemistry during the late 1930s and 40s. (There was one other woman student at that time, Vicky Lynch, who eventually did the laboratory work for Nobel Laureate Melvin Calvin.) My mother got her big break during WWII when all the men left for the war. She worked with Dr. Samuel Lepkovsky at UC Berkeley, isolating and studying vitamins. When my father’s job moved to Hawai‘i in 1954, she had to leave that work she dearly loved.
“She first found laboratory research work in poultry husbandry, then in marine science on Coconut Island. Her work included figuring out how fish that live in both salt and fresh water can make the transition between the different concentrations of salt in the water and thrive. Her work included doing surgery on fish, and she designed and built a fish tank in order to study fish physiology.
“Ansel Adams’s photo of my mother is far from the most flattering of her, but it was her brilliance, not her beauty, that was of greatest importance.”
apanikolas replied to Slaby that she loved the photograph of her mother and wanted to include all of Adams’s Hawai‘i photographs, however limited exhibition space meant that was not possible. “We had to limit ourselves largely to Adams’s fine art prints from the Hawai‘i pictures, which meant that we regretfully had to pass on many, many important images.” She went on to write, “Even though your mother’s photograph is not in the show, her contributions to the fields of chemistry and marine biology at a time when there were even fewer women scientists than there are today is fascinating! And Adams clearly recognized this.” She also asked Slaby if she would be willing to share her story with the public.
Last week I called Slaby to talk about her mother and the Adams photograph.
“My mother commuted to Coconut Island every day, and I sometimes was with her when she did experiments all night,” said Slaby. “My brother and I used to hang out there on weekends.”
She remembers the “tiny island” as “a wonderful place. They would throw the Christmas party in Pauley’s resort area—it had a swimming pool with a slide and an old ship. When I was there, there were small pools and someone doing research on sharks had sharks in the pools. I spent time snorkeling.”
Slaby revealed that her mother was also a photographer—she attended the California School of Arts and Crafts in Oakland in 1934 after graduating from Berkeley High School in 1930—and admired Ansel Adams’s work. “Ansel Adams grew up in San Francisco, and my mother grew up in Berkeley. My mother certainly knew Ansel Adams’s photographs of Yosemite. I can’t remember anything in particular that she said about [meeting Ansel Adams] but I’m sure they had a lot to talk about.”
“I always stop by the museum when I visit Oahu,” said Slaby, who took art lessons here when she was in the fourth grade. “I was thrilled that the exhibition was there when I was there in November. I was familiar with many of the photographs. The photograph of the bankers around the table was one of the last photos I saw in the show. I was taken aback by that photograph because you can see how much things have changed.”
Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984) Dr. Della Fisher Reid, c. 1956 Gelatin silver print Collection Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona ©2013 First Hawaiian Bank. (Submitted by John Chong)
How I miss her, it doesn't feel like she is not still here. Suddenly I can see her so clearly, always back in our UHS days, right there in class, on the balcony....
I think it was the last reunion, or maybe the one before - she wanted to get a nice muumuu, a 'proper' one, to wear to the events. It made her think of happy times at UHS. Fashions had changed but she tracked one down at Ward Warehouse, now gone I know, and was so happy with it, and to be with all of you again, wearing it and revisiting the old days. (Submitted by Kaori O'Connor)
Only while trying to round up classmates for reunions did Ann and I start to chat.
Ann’s family moved to Hawaii when she was 6 years old. Her father had gotten a transfer to Pearl Harbor.
Her mother, Della F. Reid, worked as a scientist on Coconut Island. She was always a swimmer and took up snorkeling and did a lot around the reefs of Coconut Island and Hanauma Bay. She learned how to scuba dive and was a NAUI certified diver. She said she always carried her fins, mask and snorkel whenever she came back home to Hawaii.
When her mom wanted to return to the mainland, her father preferred to stay in Hawaii and eventually remarried. Her father and step mom resided at the Arcadia where several classmates also had a parent or parents residing.
Upon contacting her, she much wanted to know how to get in touch with Robert DeForest and (Lynne) Kaori O’Connor.
She contacted me because the San Francisco Chronicle had a Sunday “Where Is It” contest where they showed a photo of Hawaii and Ann decided she wanted to enter. I “helped” her when I could and the contest went on for several weeks. The prizes, however, were not very special as one was some stale Hawaiian candy. But she won quite a few and was also able to post a short story or anecdote of her experience with the location e.g. she had gone to a summer camp at Kokee on Kauai.
She also wanted to get a print of a photograph Ansel Adams took of her mom. She knew that First Hawaiian Bank had a print but no one seemed to know where it eventually went. She did find one and there is an article by Honolulu Museum of Art.HomeScientist Della Reid: The story behind an Ansel Adams Hawai‘i photograph. Scientist Della Reid: The story behind an Ansel Adams Hawai‘i photograph
Posted 5 years ago by Lesa Griffith is reproduced below.
"In November, California-based attorney and epidemiologist Ann Slaby, who was on O‘ahu for a high school reunion, visited the museum, as she usually does when in town. She was looking forward to seeing Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: The Hawai‘i Pictures—for a very personal reason. In 1958, Ansel Adams photographed her mother, Della Fisher Reid, for the book Islands of Hawai‘i. (The final published image is pictured below.)
“When I saw the copy of the book in the glass case in the exhibition, I was fully expecting to run into my mother’s photograph, and I was surprised when I didn’t,” Slaby said in a phone conversation last week. She then wrote a kind letter to Theresa Papanikolas, curator of the exhibition and the museum’s curator of European and American art, to share “details of a photo that was not chosen.”
Slaby revealed that the photograph of her mother in the book “was among the many photos Ansel Adams took on Coconut Island, where my mother worked for the Marine Laboratory in the 1950s. The photo is her portrait of her dissecting a radioactive fish. Some of the studies she, along with her co-workers, did found out how fish metabolize radioactive materials. This knowledge is useful when fish are in a environment polluted with radioactive waste and pick up a radioactive isotope directly from the sea water, by way of the skin, gills, or by swallowing the sea water. The sea outside the Fukushima power plants comes immediately to mind.”
“A woman scientist was very unusual in the 1950s. My mother was a student at UC Berkeley in Chemistry during the late 1930s and 40s. (There was one other woman student at that time, Vicky Lynch, who eventually did the laboratory work for Nobel Laureate Melvin Calvin.) My mother got her big break during WWII when all the men left for the war. She worked with Dr. Samuel Lepkovsky at UC Berkeley, isolating and studying vitamins. When my father’s job moved to Hawai‘i in 1954, she had to leave that work she dearly loved.
“She first found laboratory research work in poultry husbandry, then in marine science on Coconut Island. Her work included figuring out how fish that live in both salt and fresh water can make the transition between the different concentrations of salt in the water and thrive. Her work included doing surgery on fish, and she designed and built a fish tank in order to study fish physiology.
“Ansel Adams’s photo of my mother is far from the most flattering of her, but it was her brilliance, not her beauty, that was of greatest importance.”
apanikolas replied to Slaby that she loved the photograph of her mother and wanted to include all of Adams’s Hawai‘i photographs, however limited exhibition space meant that was not possible. “We had to limit ourselves largely to Adams’s fine art prints from the Hawai‘i pictures, which meant that we regretfully had to pass on many, many important images.” She went on to write, “Even though your mother’s photograph is not in the show, her contributions to the fields of chemistry and marine biology at a time when there were even fewer women scientists than there are today is fascinating! And Adams clearly recognized this.” She also asked Slaby if she would be willing to share her story with the public.
Last week I called Slaby to talk about her mother and the Adams photograph.
“My mother commuted to Coconut Island every day, and I sometimes was with her when she did experiments all night,” said Slaby. “My brother and I used to hang out there on weekends.”
She remembers the “tiny island” as “a wonderful place. They would throw the Christmas party in Pauley’s resort area—it had a swimming pool with a slide and an old ship. When I was there, there were small pools and someone doing research on sharks had sharks in the pools. I spent time snorkeling.”
Slaby revealed that her mother was also a photographer—she attended the California School of Arts and Crafts in Oakland in 1934 after graduating from Berkeley High School in 1930—and admired Ansel Adams’s work. “Ansel Adams grew up in San Francisco, and my mother grew up in Berkeley. My mother certainly knew Ansel Adams’s photographs of Yosemite. I can’t remember anything in particular that she said about [meeting Ansel Adams] but I’m sure they had a lot to talk about.”
“I always stop by the museum when I visit Oahu,” said Slaby, who took art lessons here when she was in the fourth grade. “I was thrilled that the exhibition was there when I was there in November. I was familiar with many of the photographs. The photograph of the bankers around the table was one of the last photos I saw in the show. I was taken aback by that photograph because you can see how much things have changed.”
Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984) Dr. Della Fisher Reid, c. 1956 Gelatin silver print Collection Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona ©2013 First Hawaiian Bank. (Submitted by John Chong)
Janie Yamamura
I remember Janie from first grade as an avid horse enthusiast. She would "neigh, neigh" up and down a cemented hill close to the road during recesses. (Submitted by Penny Rian)
One of the strongest memories I have of Janie is exactly what Penny remembers. This photo of Janie (uhs63.weebly.com/through-the-years.html) with Pam Spector and Joan Hardy was on the cemented hill mentioned by Penny where the girls played horse. (Submitted by John Chong)
Pictures of Janie were provided by Roger Kobayashi, a friend of Ricky AuHoy. Janie was Roger’s ROTC sponsor at UH and then was his son’s teacher at Moanalua High School.
Roy Kanno
Some classmates may think their remembrances of a classmate wouldn’t be of interest to others because they were shared only between the two of them. That could not be farther from the truth because these remembrances evoke the spirit and qualities of the classmate we all knew to different degrees. No better example is John Chong’s submission of his remembrance of Roy. Each remembrance awakens some interaction each of us had with Roy Kanno in one way or another.
“I do have lots of memories of him but as I mentioned before, a lot of them are more personal and not mean anything to anyone else...know what I mean?
Like:..
I remember when the Destiny's were making this float for theCherry Blossom parade....the designer wanted a tree....and some sage brush...a half hour later, here's Roy....across from Sandy Beach...when it was just koa trees and scrub and he's waaay up in a tree sawing away….
OR....at one of the reunions at the Elk's Club, he looks at Fay's sandals and says, "that's the same shoes she wore in high school!”
OR when we were at UH, we were having lunch at Likelike and I used to take my glasses off for who knows why, when I ate, but he pours shoyu onto the lenses...the waitress sees that and she's sooo nice...she takes them and cleans them for me…
OR when Vern and Shima are waiting in a golf cart for the foursome ahead to finish teeing off, they are discussing recipes. Roy walks up to them and tells them they need to talk about hunting and fishing...not recipes...it's embarrassing!
OR how he would take every little bit of green onion out of his saimin before eating it….
OR when he was in Russia he couldn't help but tear up thinking a kid from Kalihi is watching the Bolshoi Ballet. stuff like that….”
(submitted by John Chong)
“Roy was one of those guys that did so much better after school than in it. He created a software program and as the K in a company called AKM, he created software that was originally intended for use by health care insurers and the like. Although he never disclosed how well he did with it, suffice to say it was well received and successful.He was a funny guy whose level of humor was a notch above….sample follows:
Following is a “letter” he wrote on 04/18/71:
OHWTLWWDWNHEPWOLAWAR
Only three weeks left
Home 10th of Sept.
Will not write again
Thanks for writing
Letters always good
Tell gang Hi
Want a good ball player?
Do not fret
Will be home soon
No banners at airport
Have envelopes only
Even forget presence
Presence of girls only
Want wedding invitation
Or else
Lose Keith’s #8 iron
Again
Will end now
Abbreviatedly
Roy”
(submitted by John Chong)
“I do have lots of memories of him but as I mentioned before, a lot of them are more personal and not mean anything to anyone else...know what I mean?
Like:..
I remember when the Destiny's were making this float for theCherry Blossom parade....the designer wanted a tree....and some sage brush...a half hour later, here's Roy....across from Sandy Beach...when it was just koa trees and scrub and he's waaay up in a tree sawing away….
OR....at one of the reunions at the Elk's Club, he looks at Fay's sandals and says, "that's the same shoes she wore in high school!”
OR when we were at UH, we were having lunch at Likelike and I used to take my glasses off for who knows why, when I ate, but he pours shoyu onto the lenses...the waitress sees that and she's sooo nice...she takes them and cleans them for me…
OR when Vern and Shima are waiting in a golf cart for the foursome ahead to finish teeing off, they are discussing recipes. Roy walks up to them and tells them they need to talk about hunting and fishing...not recipes...it's embarrassing!
OR how he would take every little bit of green onion out of his saimin before eating it….
OR when he was in Russia he couldn't help but tear up thinking a kid from Kalihi is watching the Bolshoi Ballet. stuff like that….”
(submitted by John Chong)
“Roy was one of those guys that did so much better after school than in it. He created a software program and as the K in a company called AKM, he created software that was originally intended for use by health care insurers and the like. Although he never disclosed how well he did with it, suffice to say it was well received and successful.He was a funny guy whose level of humor was a notch above….sample follows:
Following is a “letter” he wrote on 04/18/71:
OHWTLWWDWNHEPWOLAWAR
Only three weeks left
Home 10th of Sept.
Will not write again
Thanks for writing
Letters always good
Tell gang Hi
Want a good ball player?
Do not fret
Will be home soon
No banners at airport
Have envelopes only
Even forget presence
Presence of girls only
Want wedding invitation
Or else
Lose Keith’s #8 iron
Again
Will end now
Abbreviatedly
Roy”
(submitted by John Chong)
Roy and his son Justin
Diane Hosaka
Diane and I had the opportunity to chat from time to time
as we walked the halls of the Prince Kuhio Federal Building
where we both worked. Knowing many of her co-workers,
I often mentioned that Diane and I were classmates and
that’s when I realized how highly she was thought of.
I could tell, without any doubt, Diane was so
well respected. And always gracious and kind.
Then one day, I asked Diane if she ever considered
becoming a Social Security Judge. She quickly told me
that she never did because she enjoyed digging through
the details of each case, welcomed its challenges, and
hoped to make positive differences in people’s lives.
She accomplished this and more than even she realized.
As she was in high school, she remained throughout her
career and life - - outstanding! (Submitted by Jinny Okubo)
as we walked the halls of the Prince Kuhio Federal Building
where we both worked. Knowing many of her co-workers,
I often mentioned that Diane and I were classmates and
that’s when I realized how highly she was thought of.
I could tell, without any doubt, Diane was so
well respected. And always gracious and kind.
Then one day, I asked Diane if she ever considered
becoming a Social Security Judge. She quickly told me
that she never did because she enjoyed digging through
the details of each case, welcomed its challenges, and
hoped to make positive differences in people’s lives.
She accomplished this and more than even she realized.
As she was in high school, she remained throughout her
career and life - - outstanding! (Submitted by Jinny Okubo)
John Dobbs
It was sad to see the space next to John’s picture empty, as though he had never existed.
And it is true that he left us before he had a chance to live the life he should have had. I
knew John from baby days when we were both at Thomas Jefferson school in Waikiki.
His best friend was the son of the Head of the Aquarium when it was still a small stone
building, and we used to spend a lot of time there, or on the beach beneath where John
lived, which was below the Diamond Head lighthouse, overlooking the sea. In those
pre-plastic days, he used to love looking for the glass balls used as fishing net floats,
that used to drift ashore. When I got to UHS, he was the only person I knew. He was very quiet,
but always sweet and kind. And long-suffering. I used to drag him on ‘adventures’ .
Once before Kaneohe got built up, we were climbing around in the undergrowth
overlooking the bay and came across the foundations of an old Hawaiian house,
all the stones in place and a poi pounder, just left there as though the user had
stepped away for a moment. I wanted to take it, John told me off and said we must
leave it where it was, or the spirit of the place would be disturbed. I felt John had always
been with me, and would always be part of my life. I still think of him and miss him. (Submitted by Kaori O'Connor)
And it is true that he left us before he had a chance to live the life he should have had. I
knew John from baby days when we were both at Thomas Jefferson school in Waikiki.
His best friend was the son of the Head of the Aquarium when it was still a small stone
building, and we used to spend a lot of time there, or on the beach beneath where John
lived, which was below the Diamond Head lighthouse, overlooking the sea. In those
pre-plastic days, he used to love looking for the glass balls used as fishing net floats,
that used to drift ashore. When I got to UHS, he was the only person I knew. He was very quiet,
but always sweet and kind. And long-suffering. I used to drag him on ‘adventures’ .
Once before Kaneohe got built up, we were climbing around in the undergrowth
overlooking the bay and came across the foundations of an old Hawaiian house,
all the stones in place and a poi pounder, just left there as though the user had
stepped away for a moment. I wanted to take it, John told me off and said we must
leave it where it was, or the spirit of the place would be disturbed. I felt John had always
been with me, and would always be part of my life. I still think of him and miss him. (Submitted by Kaori O'Connor)
Robert Fern
I'll never forget being on the basketball and baseball teams at UHS with Bobby. He was taller than me, but slower (and that was bad, because I wasn't fleet of foot either). To me Bobby was the "gentle giant" - he never got angry at anything. When he did get upset, I can still hear his dulcet tones. (Submitted by Miles Nakashima)
Donald Fox
(Glenn Bauer's Eulogy to Donald Fox - 2001)
On November 25, 2001, Hawaii lost a brilliant and talented pediatrician, humanity lost a caring and compassionate person, and I lost my best friend and hiking buddy of 47 years. Don was like a brother. His sudden death was such a blow to his family, to his friends, and to me that feelings of inadequacy and helplessness at this time are overwhelming. None of us had a chance to say good-bye.
Don and I became friends late in the 3rd grade at the University Lab School. In the 4th grade we shared the same classroom along with similar interests. About that time, Sir Edmund Hillary had climbed Mt. Everest, and both of us wanted to be mountain climbers. We fantasized about braving cold strong winds at the South Col and what it would be like standing on the summit of Everest. A month ago, Don and I were talking about our Everest goal and we admitted that age had finally caught up, and if we could at least make it to Everest Base Camp that would be good enough.
But over the 47 years, we hiked many of the valleys, ridges and peaks of Hawaii. Don never liked to go the easy way. He enjoyed exploring with a capital "E". He wanted to see a view, to climb a ridge to reach a peak that few, if any, had seen or done before. Every hike was an adventure, a shared experience of excitement and sometimes danger that brought us closer as friends. It took five attempts to climb an Everest-shaped peak in the Koolau Mountains called Puu Ohulehule. We climbed steep buttress ridges to ridges so narrow that they had to be straddled. Several times we spent the night in a pup tent eating pork and beans heated over a sterno flame. We would talk into the night about college, girls and whether we would attain the summit the next morning. Don always led, and four of the five times, we turned around because he heard his dad, Morry, in his mind, telling him to maintain a margin of safety, to have an escape route. We finally stood on the summit in 1971, eight years after starting the climb. Don never gave up!
Just six weeks ago we went on our last major hike together, except this time our grown sons, Kai and Matt, and Kaiser friends joined us to Lonomea Camp in Waimea Canyon. This hike is relatively tame compared to Puu Ohulehule, the joy of being outside with friends, away from all the distractions, cannot be duplicated. An old tradition of sipping 151 proof rum, limejuice, and water, known as a "Kohala," was improved upon by Kai with the addition of honey and is now known as a "Lonomea." Don approved of the new "Lonomea" concoction.
Don loved the Hawaiian Islands, the people, and the Hawaiian culture, especially the music. He cared very deeply about the future of native flora and fauna in the islands. Though Hawaii was special to him, his love of islands in general would cause him to spend hours researching places to visit. Over the years we engaged in a game to see who had been on the most islands. I don't know who won. He enjoyed looking for shells on small islands such as those in Micronesia, or reading about islands that played host to great adventures. He wanted to go to the Sub-Antarctc islands of Heard, Kerguelen, and South Georgia. I had told him about my experiences on Tofua Island in Tonga 30 years ago, so we began plotting ways to visit Tofua after retirement. I know Don love medicine, be he would complain to me that he was jealous that I could be outside getting paid doing my job in geology. I would always give him the same response: "You studied the wrong subject in college, tough!"
Don's devotion to his stamp collection developed into a fascination with Hawaiian and World War II military history. His various collections included a cancelled envelope from almost every post office in Hawaii. However, he was still trying to finda Pelekunu cancellation. He had a collection of cancellation for every Navy ship that was in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Th detail required in stamp collecting probably helped prepare him for the detail required in medicine. On Kauai in early October he told me that he wanted to study ferns because he felt that looking at stamp perforations would be similar to identifying native ferns.
Morry gave Don the gift of being able to tell a good story. Morry's ability to tell stories of Hawaii during the 1930's and 40's and Thailand in the 1950's, rubbed off. Don could turn a road trip into an adventure, a two-day hiking trip into the Koolau Mountains as something that should be writen upfor Outside Magazine.
Don's parents, Morry and Fran, instilled a strong sense of ethical and moral values in him. He was the most principled person I knew. It was impossible for him to tell a lie, to cheat, or to be nasty to another human being. Living abroad in Thailand and Turkey as a child and teenager, gave him an appreciation of other cultures and empathy for those who struggled on a daily basis.
Don's character made him a great father to Kai and Kou, a loving husband to Linda, and a wise uncle to Galen's children and to my sons Matt and Ian. Don did not condescend to young people. When asked a question, for example, in medicine, his answer would be straightforward and easy to understand. He knew his subject and respected the person asking the question.
When my mother died of cancer in 1972, Don sent me a letter that provided me with needed support and comfort. He wrote: "Your letter came as a shock to me, and was met wih considerable grief. Your mother was no ordinary woman...by anyone's standards she was a superior person." Yes, Don, your death was met by shock and considerable grief. And you were not an ordinary man, but a superior person by anyone's standards. I spent 47 years of my best years knowing you, and loving you as my surrogate brother. I experienced the wilds of Hawaii and the world with you while enjoying your friendship, humor, intelligence, sensitivity, and kindness.
On November 25, 2001, Hawaii lost a brilliant and talented pediatrician, humanity lost a caring and compassionate person, and I lost my best friend and hiking buddy of 47 years. Don was like a brother. His sudden death was such a blow to his family, to his friends, and to me that feelings of inadequacy and helplessness at this time are overwhelming. None of us had a chance to say good-bye.
Don and I became friends late in the 3rd grade at the University Lab School. In the 4th grade we shared the same classroom along with similar interests. About that time, Sir Edmund Hillary had climbed Mt. Everest, and both of us wanted to be mountain climbers. We fantasized about braving cold strong winds at the South Col and what it would be like standing on the summit of Everest. A month ago, Don and I were talking about our Everest goal and we admitted that age had finally caught up, and if we could at least make it to Everest Base Camp that would be good enough.
But over the 47 years, we hiked many of the valleys, ridges and peaks of Hawaii. Don never liked to go the easy way. He enjoyed exploring with a capital "E". He wanted to see a view, to climb a ridge to reach a peak that few, if any, had seen or done before. Every hike was an adventure, a shared experience of excitement and sometimes danger that brought us closer as friends. It took five attempts to climb an Everest-shaped peak in the Koolau Mountains called Puu Ohulehule. We climbed steep buttress ridges to ridges so narrow that they had to be straddled. Several times we spent the night in a pup tent eating pork and beans heated over a sterno flame. We would talk into the night about college, girls and whether we would attain the summit the next morning. Don always led, and four of the five times, we turned around because he heard his dad, Morry, in his mind, telling him to maintain a margin of safety, to have an escape route. We finally stood on the summit in 1971, eight years after starting the climb. Don never gave up!
Just six weeks ago we went on our last major hike together, except this time our grown sons, Kai and Matt, and Kaiser friends joined us to Lonomea Camp in Waimea Canyon. This hike is relatively tame compared to Puu Ohulehule, the joy of being outside with friends, away from all the distractions, cannot be duplicated. An old tradition of sipping 151 proof rum, limejuice, and water, known as a "Kohala," was improved upon by Kai with the addition of honey and is now known as a "Lonomea." Don approved of the new "Lonomea" concoction.
Don loved the Hawaiian Islands, the people, and the Hawaiian culture, especially the music. He cared very deeply about the future of native flora and fauna in the islands. Though Hawaii was special to him, his love of islands in general would cause him to spend hours researching places to visit. Over the years we engaged in a game to see who had been on the most islands. I don't know who won. He enjoyed looking for shells on small islands such as those in Micronesia, or reading about islands that played host to great adventures. He wanted to go to the Sub-Antarctc islands of Heard, Kerguelen, and South Georgia. I had told him about my experiences on Tofua Island in Tonga 30 years ago, so we began plotting ways to visit Tofua after retirement. I know Don love medicine, be he would complain to me that he was jealous that I could be outside getting paid doing my job in geology. I would always give him the same response: "You studied the wrong subject in college, tough!"
Don's devotion to his stamp collection developed into a fascination with Hawaiian and World War II military history. His various collections included a cancelled envelope from almost every post office in Hawaii. However, he was still trying to finda Pelekunu cancellation. He had a collection of cancellation for every Navy ship that was in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Th detail required in stamp collecting probably helped prepare him for the detail required in medicine. On Kauai in early October he told me that he wanted to study ferns because he felt that looking at stamp perforations would be similar to identifying native ferns.
Morry gave Don the gift of being able to tell a good story. Morry's ability to tell stories of Hawaii during the 1930's and 40's and Thailand in the 1950's, rubbed off. Don could turn a road trip into an adventure, a two-day hiking trip into the Koolau Mountains as something that should be writen upfor Outside Magazine.
Don's parents, Morry and Fran, instilled a strong sense of ethical and moral values in him. He was the most principled person I knew. It was impossible for him to tell a lie, to cheat, or to be nasty to another human being. Living abroad in Thailand and Turkey as a child and teenager, gave him an appreciation of other cultures and empathy for those who struggled on a daily basis.
Don's character made him a great father to Kai and Kou, a loving husband to Linda, and a wise uncle to Galen's children and to my sons Matt and Ian. Don did not condescend to young people. When asked a question, for example, in medicine, his answer would be straightforward and easy to understand. He knew his subject and respected the person asking the question.
When my mother died of cancer in 1972, Don sent me a letter that provided me with needed support and comfort. He wrote: "Your letter came as a shock to me, and was met wih considerable grief. Your mother was no ordinary woman...by anyone's standards she was a superior person." Yes, Don, your death was met by shock and considerable grief. And you were not an ordinary man, but a superior person by anyone's standards. I spent 47 years of my best years knowing you, and loving you as my surrogate brother. I experienced the wilds of Hawaii and the world with you while enjoying your friendship, humor, intelligence, sensitivity, and kindness.
Dwight Miyauchi
Go to this link WHAT'S NEW to see pictures of Dwight's gravesite at Punchbowl Cemetery and tribute to Dwight from the University of Hawaii Law School. (submitted by Dayton Auyong)
I'd like to invite anyone who is so inclined to visit Dwight's grave site at Punchbowl Cemetery. Dwight is a veteran of the Vietnam war and is buried under a large tree on the makai Ewa end of the cemetery. You can find the exact plot location at the cemetery office. (Submitted by Diane Hosaka)
This follows Diane Hosaka's message in the Remembrance section re: Dwight Miyauchi and the location of his grave site. One of the local Hawaii news channels noted the existence of an App, that permits searching the Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery. If one is so inclined.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/23939030/woman-creates-grave-site-locating-app-for-punchbowl
The App - unfortunately for some - is currently only for Apple users. And is called "NMCP Finder " It ican also be found at the Apple App store, fielded on 23 October. Again, unfortunately for some Apple users, the app is somewhat large - under just under 40Mb. But it may be worthwhile for those of us too timid to enter the Visitor Center to track down grave sites of those known and little known. (Submitted by Frank Yap)
I visited Dwight's grave site on the morning of our 50th Reunion class banquet on November 2, 2013. His grave site location is: Section II, Site 24 and is located in a beautiful spot under a large tree. I told Dwight about our reunion and expressed the class' appreciation of his service. (Submitted by Miles Nakashima)
I'd like to invite anyone who is so inclined to visit Dwight's grave site at Punchbowl Cemetery. Dwight is a veteran of the Vietnam war and is buried under a large tree on the makai Ewa end of the cemetery. You can find the exact plot location at the cemetery office. (Submitted by Diane Hosaka)
This follows Diane Hosaka's message in the Remembrance section re: Dwight Miyauchi and the location of his grave site. One of the local Hawaii news channels noted the existence of an App, that permits searching the Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery. If one is so inclined.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/23939030/woman-creates-grave-site-locating-app-for-punchbowl
The App - unfortunately for some - is currently only for Apple users. And is called "NMCP Finder " It ican also be found at the Apple App store, fielded on 23 October. Again, unfortunately for some Apple users, the app is somewhat large - under just under 40Mb. But it may be worthwhile for those of us too timid to enter the Visitor Center to track down grave sites of those known and little known. (Submitted by Frank Yap)
I visited Dwight's grave site on the morning of our 50th Reunion class banquet on November 2, 2013. His grave site location is: Section II, Site 24 and is located in a beautiful spot under a large tree. I told Dwight about our reunion and expressed the class' appreciation of his service. (Submitted by Miles Nakashima)
John Takasaki
How many of us have given thought to writing about the place where we spent our formative years? John grew up in the Kaimuki / Palolo area and wanted to write a book about Kaimuki. Read his detailed account about the formation and history of Kaimuki - what does “Kaimuki” mean; why it has red dirt; three plants that characterize Kaimuki - panini, kiawe, lakana; and how Kaimuki became the first major sub-division in Hawaii.
John’s article titled Kaimuki, was published in the Hawaiian Journal of History, Volume 10 in 1976, pages 64-73, and can be found at this link.
The Hawaiian Journal of History, Volume 10, 1976 can be found at this link.
(Information provided by Naomi Lee (Kim) and John Chong)
When JP moved back to the islands, he contacted me while I was still living on the Big Island of Hawaii. How he tracked me down, I have no idea. Anyway, we connected in HNL when I would return to visit my dad to keep him company; my mom had by now passed away. John came over to my family house, still the old Lakimau Street, and we'd go holoholo -- movies, sit on the beach and watch da stars, whatevahs! He began to share his personal journey with me and why he returned home to the islands -- he opened up this Hawaiian food restaurant in Washington (or Oregon, not sure), very popular spot, frequented by Islanders who had relocated to the west coast and missed Hawaiian style food and music! It also featured a bar -- and my sense is that's where and howcum JP got more into drinking. What began as social drinking probably turned into heavy drinking.
By this time, he was married and had a couple of kids, by then grown, in their early twenties when he returned to Hawaii. But he was also now divorced and quite estranged from his wife and the kids. I gathered, and he said, he was trying to have some kind of reconciliation with his wife and kids. I could sense a deep sadness within him. John and I had always been quite close even in high school -- we had hung out now and then. We rarely talked about it, but we felt a kind of kinship and spiritual connection with each other...back then and even when he returned home.
At this stage of life, John had also turned to finding some kind of meaningful relationship with God. My take on this is, that deep down inside, he was seeking forgiveness for some of his past. He told me his cousin was Wayne Cordeiro, the well known pastor of the then growing New Hope Church with services at Farrington HS. John insisted I meet his cousin -- so off we went to New Hope a couple of Sundays to listen to the music and meet his cousin. Wayne is infectious and embraced John fully.
On another weekend, John came over...and I noticed he was shuffling along rather than his usual walk. I asked him, what was wrong...that he should immediately go see a doctor. I thought he had had a stroke. Perhaps, the brain tumor had kicked in and was now affecting his motor responses. Anyway, his regular phone calls to me soon stopped. I asked around -- eventually found out that he was now in the hospital in serious condition; that his older brother Fulton had come back from the mainland to be with his brother JP, that they laughed a lot together and played ukulele into the wee hours! At least, at the very least, John was surrounded by laughter, joy and close family before he departed this earthly place.
I went to JP's funeral service with his cousin Pastor Wayne Cordeira delivering the eulogy. It was touching and captured the life giving spirit of John.
I have always been perplexed by John and his final days....on one hand, I felt honored that he reached out to contact me and wanted to spend time together. On the other, when we all left University High, he had so much promise and potential and was certainly on my list of "who would likely succeed." I have wondered many times, what happened....? Yet, he returned home, a kind of prodigal son, perhaps. Humbly seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. I know that he wanted to patch things up with his wife, and especially his son who was playing basketball. Is this part of his final message of hope to all of us? To do your best to make things pono before it's too late.
As a hospice chaplain, I encourage both patients and their families, that no matter what, however awkward or embarrassing -- DON'T WAIT!!! TELL THOSE CLOSE TO YOU, HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM, HOW MUCH YOU APPRECIATE THEM, HOW GRATEFUL YOU ARE FOR ALL THAT THEY HAVE DONE WITH AND FOR YOU....FORGIVE THEM IF NEEDED, AND ASK FOR THEIR FORGIVENESS TOO! You probably were a jerk at some point in life. Leave this planet a better place than when you found it.
JP was special. He was our class prez, fun loving, warm, a jock and good looking to boot! I shall miss him. As ee cummings, the poet said: " ...when you are gone, I shall carry you in my heart." (Submitted by Jade Young)
March 13, 2018
Pastor Cordeiro,
My name is Miles Nakashima and I was a high school classmate of John Takasaki at University High School in 1963. I understand that you may be a relation to John and that is the reason for my writing.
Our high school class was very close and John was a valued member of the class. His passing came at too young an age and his absence is still felt at our class reunions.
One of the members of the class recently found the enclosed picture and thought his family might enjoy this memory. We have lost contact with his daughter and brother and someone remembered you being related to John.
If you could forward the enclosed picture to any member of John’s immediate family it would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Miles Nakashima
TAHI, ANN, SUSAN, GLENN (Photo courtesy of Glenn Bauer)
Susan Vaught
I remember Susan Vaught very vividly. She, Jimmy Vine and I were connected. We three had fathers teaching at the UH music department. My father was hired in 1946 to re-establish the music department after the war - finding all the instruments that were borrowed during the war, etc. My dad hired Jimmy's dad in 1946 to be a vocal teacher at UH.
(Historical addition: My dad left Dartmouth in April without the rest of our family , so he could find housing. He and Mr. Vine found an army barrack used for gun storage, and erected a wall in the middle. Each of our families had one half of the barrack. We didn't have water the first year, but walked across the street to get water. The barrack was on the future football field of Stevenson Jr. High)
Susan's family joined the music department when we were all in seventh grade. I recall Susan's family and my family on an outing to Bellows Beach before school began. I have a picture of both of us as cold 13 year olds talking on the beach. I also recall we both wore braces. She told me she couldn't chew gum or eat whole apples while she had braces. And then there are the times our fathers had a recital or concert and received a red carnation lei. Then we daughters could wear the lei to school on Monday and pretend that we had been to another school's dance. Wow, we felt important then!
Susan's family traveled to England for her senior year. They came back early because Mrs. Vaught had passed away. I remember a beautiful memorial recital was played by the Vaught's friends.
And then the BIG EPISODE happened. You remember it! Susan returned the second semester and sat next to Carolyn Fukunaga. We had a new student teacher, of course. We knew how to play tricks on the student teachers since we had had so many. The teacher, whom I remember as being a female, called attendance. Susan had sat in Carolyn's old seat which was on the teacher's seating chart. She answered to Carolyn's name, and Carolyn answered to Susan's name. FOR SIX WEEKS. We all kept the problem a secret and called each of them the other person's name. When progress reports were being written, the teacher spoke to our principal about Carolyn, the girl from England. The principal corrected the student teacher, and had a wonderful LAUGH! Nothing seemed to happen because of this situation, but I suppose Susan and Carolyn were then called by their own names. !!!!
I know we all recall this situation, but perhaps we've been waiting for someone else to write. It's not often that I have been the 'other person,' but I've enjoyed writing this remembrance. (Submitted by Penny Robicheau)
(Historical addition: My dad left Dartmouth in April without the rest of our family , so he could find housing. He and Mr. Vine found an army barrack used for gun storage, and erected a wall in the middle. Each of our families had one half of the barrack. We didn't have water the first year, but walked across the street to get water. The barrack was on the future football field of Stevenson Jr. High)
Susan's family joined the music department when we were all in seventh grade. I recall Susan's family and my family on an outing to Bellows Beach before school began. I have a picture of both of us as cold 13 year olds talking on the beach. I also recall we both wore braces. She told me she couldn't chew gum or eat whole apples while she had braces. And then there are the times our fathers had a recital or concert and received a red carnation lei. Then we daughters could wear the lei to school on Monday and pretend that we had been to another school's dance. Wow, we felt important then!
Susan's family traveled to England for her senior year. They came back early because Mrs. Vaught had passed away. I remember a beautiful memorial recital was played by the Vaught's friends.
And then the BIG EPISODE happened. You remember it! Susan returned the second semester and sat next to Carolyn Fukunaga. We had a new student teacher, of course. We knew how to play tricks on the student teachers since we had had so many. The teacher, whom I remember as being a female, called attendance. Susan had sat in Carolyn's old seat which was on the teacher's seating chart. She answered to Carolyn's name, and Carolyn answered to Susan's name. FOR SIX WEEKS. We all kept the problem a secret and called each of them the other person's name. When progress reports were being written, the teacher spoke to our principal about Carolyn, the girl from England. The principal corrected the student teacher, and had a wonderful LAUGH! Nothing seemed to happen because of this situation, but I suppose Susan and Carolyn were then called by their own names. !!!!
I know we all recall this situation, but perhaps we've been waiting for someone else to write. It's not often that I have been the 'other person,' but I've enjoyed writing this remembrance. (Submitted by Penny Robicheau)