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New Year’s A father contributing new branches to an old family tree, a dentist practicing with her father in Kahala, and a professional musician who once scored nearly half his football team's points against the University of Hawaii are among those on the exclusive list of New Year's Day firstborns.
first babies earn
special distinction
Military births made up
14 of Hawaii's firstborns
since statehoodA listing of Hawaii's New Year's babies.
All photos courtesy of the families
By Rod Ohira
Star-Bulletin"The way I look at it, I'm the oldest of the class of '67 births in Hawaii," said Maui resident Scott Naganuma, a former St. Anthony High School football running back whose three sons represent the ninth generation of his family's Hawaiian bloodline.
Courtesy of Marcia Eng
Marcia (Loo) Eng, top, as a newborn, the first baby
born to ring in 1961. Above, today with her children,
Sarah and Andrew.
Dr. Marcia Loo Eng of Wai-Kahala Dental Associates, Hawaii's first baby of 1961, said the best thing about being born on New Year's Day is that no one ever forgets your birthday."But I don't really like firecrackers," said Eng, the daughter of Dr. Theodore J. and Patricia Loo.
In Hawaii's statehood period, starting from New Year's 1960, military personnel have accounted for 14 of the 41 first births. All but two of them were born at Tripler.
Ronald Wayne Gilchrist, who arrived at 10 seconds past midnight at what is now Tripler Medical Center, was the first baby born in 1966.
George-Ann Derby, the recently retired Iolani School varsity girls soccer coach, gave birth two minutes later at The Queen's Hospital, now Queen's Medical Center, to the first civilian baby.
David Derby, an all-state soccer player at Punahou, kicked a field goal and extra point for Yale in his team's 62-10 football loss to UH in 1987.
The notoriety for firstborns is not as great today as when Patricia Loo and Maureen Naganuma gave birth in the 1960s.
Both recall receiving many gifts from merchants, including a year's worth of diaper service.
There is no official list of firstborns, so the Star-Bulletin compiled one from old Honolulu newspaper reports for today's story.
Past reports did not consistently report on the first child born each year in the entire state.
In some years, only Oahu's firstborn was identified.
Catching up with Hawaii's firstborns
The following is a look at what some of the past reported firstborns are doing:
Marcia is married to California native Steven Eng, vice president of Global Center Asia, and they have two children: Sarah, 5, and Andrew, 4.
Eng's cousin is former KHON-TV news reporter Nalani Blaisdell Brennan, who is also a doctor. Eng's mother, the former Patricia Saito, and Brennan's mother are sisters.
A Hilo High graduate who lettered in softball, Antonio is a single parent with two daughters, ages 18 and 9.
"The worst thing about being born on New Year's Day is, everybody's broke when my birthday comes around," said Antonio, whose hobbies are bow hunting and fishing.
1966 New Year's baby: David Derby today,
above, with his dad, Philander; top, as a baby.
Derby and Eric Masunaga, also a Punahou graduate, were members of The Dam Builders, a musical group that had a recording contract with Elektra from 1994-97 and a chart hit, "Shrine," in 1994.
"I'm much more interested in computer stuff now," Derby said. "I play music for fun now, and I sometimes sit in with Lloyd Cole."
1967 New Year's baby: Scott Naganuma with
parents Maureen and Stanley, top; and above, with wife,
Jane, and kids Michael, 5, Jacob, 3, and Andrew, 1.
Scott, whose Hawaiian name means "firstborn," is married to the former Jane Kim. The couple has three children: Michael, 5; Jacob, 4, and Andrew, 1.
"That's the cream," Stanley Naganuma said of the three grandsons who carry on the Naganuma name. "At least I know there's two more generations after me. That's the best I can hope for."
The Japanese line of the Naganuma family goes back to Kakugiro Mitsuhashi, who was with the first wave of Japanese immigrants to come to Hawaii.
He settled in Kona and married a Hawaiian woman, Piipiilani Kunukau. The couple's daughter, Rachel, married Mitsujiro Naganuma of Maui.
The verified Kunukau genealogy dates back to 1786, said Stanley Naganuma, who has a fourth grandson, Rees Brewster.
She is a personnel management specialist with the state's Department of Public Safety. She enjoys playing tennis and raising tropical fish.
1972 New Year's baby: Michelle Yoshioka
today, above right; top, as a baby with
her mom, Elaine.
1984 New Year's baby:
Brianne Hookala, above right,
as a teen; at top as a newborn.
An interesting note is that Brianne's great-grandmother, Annie Keao, was walking a picket line on New Year's Day outside of Wahiawa General Hospital while she was being born inside.
He participates in judo and gymnastics, but playing basketball is his favorite activity.
"I got what I wanted for Christmas," Kamren said of his new paint-ball gun. "I don't know what I'm getting for my birthday, but it'll be good. That's what's good about having a birthday one week after Christmas."
"Everybody knows that I was born on New Year's Day, so I feel like I'm kind of famous," she said. "I get a lot of presents because my birthday is close to Christmas, but what I like best is, our family is always together on New Year's."
Reported New Year's first-born babies since Hawaii became a state. Hawaii's 41 years of
New Year's firstborns
Compiled by Rod Ohira, Star-Bulletin