Known as an authority on Irish writer James Joyce, she published a number of scholarly works on his fiction and was a visiting senior lecturer on Joyce at St. Peter’s College, Oxford, England, in 1971.
She organized and chaired an international Joyce symposium at UH in 1974. In a review of her work “Eternal Geomater,” on the Joyce novel “Finnegans Wake,” Virginia Quarterly Review said in part: “This book pushes back the frontiers of ‘Finnegans Wake’ scholarship.”
“She was very attractive, very feminine, extremely intelligent,” said Phyllis Hoge Thompson, a colleague who taught at UH and several mainland schools.
“I took one of her classes on the contemporary French philosophers, and the students -- including me -- just were overwhelmed by the depth of her insight. She had a ready wit, and she was not afraid to talk about the things she knew about. She did it in such a charming way.”
Her knowledge of a subject was a great help to her students’ understanding, Thompson said.
“She was able to clarify the funny points of ‘Finnegans Wake,’ which is an extremely difficult book,” she added. “She could make it accessible and do it with a wry sense of humor.”
Solomon viewed herself as a scholarly critic.
“Good literary criticism is always creative,” she wrote. “A creative critic cannot be, and should not pretend to be, absolutely objective. His/her ‘truth’ is colored by a very personal reading, and that reading ought to acknowledge the critic’s own creative unconscious.”
Born in Enid, Okla., Solomon earned her bachelor’s at the University of Hawaii, master’s at Berkeley, then doctorate at Claremont Graduate School. She taught at the University of Hawaii for 20 years, chairing the English Department graduate program before her retirement.
Her earlier career included work as an income tax consultant in Los Angeles and a finance position with the Navy at Kodiak, Alaska. She also was a cost accountant in California before beginning her career in higher education.
Solomon is survived by husband Stephen W. Bartlett; sons Stephen L. and Stuart G. Solomon and sister Esther E. Dye.
Colleagues will gather for a memorial service at a time and place to be announced later. Those interested are asked to call the UH English Department.
Donations in her memory may be made to the Friends of the English Department, P.O. Box 61778, Honolulu, Hawaii 96839.
Carina, 24, was a self-employed Amway distributor. She is survived by fiance Darwin C. Sales; parents Joseph and Lindy; sister
Monique; and grandparents Stanley and Maria Bicoy, and Anthony K. Nuuanu.
Nicole, Carina’s 22-year-old sister who was also a self-employed Amway distributor, is also survived by fiance Kelly A. Dudoit; and son Blake I.N. Dudoit.
Laakea, infant daughter of Monique Nuuanu and Somer K. Fuller, was born on Dec. 16, 1995. She is also survived by grandparents Solomon and May Fuller.
Services will begin at 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Nanakuli. Call after 9 a.m. Their ashes will be scattered off Yokohama Bay.
Thelma B. Agae, 59, of Honolulu died Dec. 31 in Tripler Army Hospital. Born in American Samoa, she is survived by husband Atilua Jr.; sons Ave “Eddie,” Anthony T., Raymond I. and Scott J.; daughters Aga A. Stroup, Julia L. Puletasi, and Cindy S. and Wendy S. Agae; brothers Taulia T., Leslie R., Alex, David, Norman, Ben and Teiutaifeau Brown; sisters Agaitagata King, Helen Breeding, Malaeoletalu, Laufalaga Lutali and Falanu Brown; and 14 grandchildren. Service: 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Borthwick Mortuary. Call from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Samoan Congregation Church and after 9 a.m. Wednesday at the mortuary. Burial: Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery, Kaneohe.
Mina K. Beck, 68, of Kailua died Saturday at home. Born in Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, she is survived by sons Benjamin, William Jr., Francis and Paul; daughters Annareitta and Caroline; brother Sonny Iona; sisters Margaret Yuen, Violet Lau and Annie Hong; eight grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Service: 10 a.m. Monday at Borthwick Mortuary. Call after 8 a.m. Burial: Hawaiian Memorial Park. Aloha attire.
Tyrone G. Benton, 57, of Makaha, a Hawaiian Gifts Supply Inc. supervisor, died Saturday in Kapiolani Hospital at Pali Momi. Born in Honolulu, he is survived by wife Caroline K.; daughter Raechelle and Maechelle; stepdaughters Josephine Sinenci, Leonera Saltiban, Carol A. Boyd and Valeire Nahoopii; stepsons Fermin Jr., Torrance, William and Lloyd Saltiban; mother Melba Mishler; brother Eugene; 24 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Memorial service: 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Oahu Cemetery Chapel, 2162 Nuuanu Ave. Call after 5 p.m. Aloha attire.
Jay G. Edgerton, 31, of San Diego, native of Honolulu, died Dec. 8. Edgerton, a U.S. Navy hospital corpsman 2nd class, served in Desert Storm. He is survived by wife Carol; mother and stepfather Dorothy and George R. Valencia; father and stepmother J. Owen and Lee; grandmother Ethel; and sisters Mary Teruya, Jennie Edgerton, Georgetta Love, Kerri Crabtree and Susie O‘Neil. Services held.
Tsugio Hashimoto, 79, of Aiea, formerly of Kakaako, a Holmes & Narver retiree, died Tuesday at home. He is survived by wife Bessie Y.; son the Rev. Sanford; daughters Larraine “Fish” Hashimoto, Joyce Sakihara, Diane “Dio” Sprauge and Stella Allen; sister Clara Y. Ebisuzaki; brother Masao; eight grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Service: 6 p.m. Monday at Moanalua Gardens Missionary Church, 1401 Mahioli St. Casual attire. No flowers.
Kermit H. Hayakawa, 78, of Honolulu, an Oahu Transport Co. retiree, died Saturday in Kuakini Hospital. Born in Aiea, he is survived by wife Sumako “Aileen”; daughter Lynn H. Harada; brother Hidemi “Pat”; and sister Betty K. Hayashi. Memorial service: 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Mililani Downtown Mortuary. Casual attire. No flowers.
Rafael Q. “Ralph” Luat, 75, of Honolulu, a Hawaiian Bitumuls Co. paving operator, died Tuesday in Honolulu. Born in Hawaii, he is survived by wife Julia; son Dennis; daughters Gloria V. Luat, Valerie Madamba, Terry Oyadomari and Robin Price; stepsons Stephen R.K. Duart Sr., and John, Dennis, Stanley, Earl, Richard and Chris Deleon; stepdaughter Sylvia Barker; sister Mary Bustamante; brothers Albert and Rudy; 40 grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren. Service: 10 a.m. Sunday at Oahu Cemetery Chapel. Scattering of ashes to follow off Ala Moana Beach. Casual attire. No flowers.
Fulgencio B. Macatumbas, 92, of Wahiawa, died Dec. 26 in Wahiawa General Hospital. Born in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, the Philippines, he is survived by sons Victorio and Dominador; daughters Claudia M. Tabios, Isabel Bumanglag, Antonina Bonilla and Catalina Guillermo; 12 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild. Service: 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Mililani Mortuary- Waipio, mauka chapel. Call after 9:30 a.m. Burial to be held in the Philippines. Casual attire.
Emiko “Amy” Oshiro, 67, of Waimanalo, a retired custodian, died Tuesday in St. Francis Hospice. Born in Waimea, Kauai, she is survived by mother Uto; brothers Nobuo, Nobuyoshi and George; and sisters Fusako Adachi, Terri Uyema and Myrtle Oshiro. Memorial service: noon Sunday at Hosoi Garden Mortuary. Casual attire. No flowers.