Saturday, May 31, 1997
Ernest Willers left legacy
of health and safety
By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin
Ernest H. Willers, who was Hawaii’s top veterinarian for 40 years, left a legacy of health and safety in the dairy, livestock and poultry industries and in the public health of residents today, his colleagues say.
“He was very much a leader in the veterinary profession,” said Honolulu veterinarian Allen Miyahara. “He was a mentor to everyone in regulatory medicine, very astute.”
Willers died May 23 at his Aina Haina home at the age of 90. He retired in 1972 after 40 years as territorial and state veterinarian. He was a founder of the Blue Cross Animal Hospital.
The emphasis of his work with the Department of Agriculture was overseeing the meat-producing industries, but he also had an important impact on public health, said former public health veterinarian John Gooch. “For many years he was a one-man gang defending the anti-rabies quarantine. We are free from rabies because he was successful in defending it. He was instrumental in expanding meat and poultry inspection to all islands, so people knew local meat and poultry were from healthy animals slaughtered in a healthy manner,” said Gooch.
Miyahara recited a litany of diseases found in island animals that were eradicated while Willers directed the state veterinary program. They included anthrax, hemorrhagic shipping fever, black leg disease and anaplasmosis in cattle and brucellosis and hog cholera in pigs. “We had tuberculosis in our cattle. Hawaii was declared TB-free through his efforts and direction.”
Gooch recalled an infection called “Molokai sick” that debilitated local beef cattle. Willers “was a bright guy with an inquiring mind. He and his staff identified the cause: The cattle at certain times of the year were eating nothing but kiawe beans, and it sickened them.
“Vets owe him a debt of gratitude too,” said Gooch. “He modernized the Veterinary Practice Act in the early 1950s, which established a way of licensing and monitoring veterinarians and resulted in an improvement in quality of veterinary service.”
Willers, born in Seattle, graduated from the University of Washington Pullman School of Veterinary Medicine. He was honored as veterinarian of the year by the American Veterinary Association. He was a past exalted ruler of the Elks Club.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Dorothy B.; son Jon T.; daughters Lani D. Lofgren and Wendy W. Lagareta; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Elks Club. The family asks that contributions be made to the Hawaiian Humane Society in lieu of flowers.
Donald W. Carter, 67, of Babylon, N.Y., who was born in Makawao, Maui also served in the U.S. Coast Guard. Incorrect information for an obituary Thursday provided by the mortuary.
Donald H. Gonsalves, 79, of Hilo, a retiree of Pearl Harbor and Hilo Coast Processing Co., died Wednesday at home. Born in Hilo, he is survived by wife Henrietta; daughters Antoinette Amii, Olinda DeRego and Verlann Gonsalves; sons Donald H. Jr., Valentine and Antone; sisters Evelyn Wilson, Ollie Robledo and Velma Pacheco; brother Leonard; 16 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Mass: 12:15 p.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Hilo. Call from 10 a.m. to noon. Burial: Hawaii Veterans Cemetery No. 2. Casual attire.
Vernon H. “Bud” Hayes, 70, formerly of Honolulu, died March 26 in Houston. He worked at Hickam Air Force Base and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Born in Cook County, Ill., he is survived by wife Anne; son Robert E. “Bob”; and sister Sally Mackay.
Pearl C. Hee, 89, of Kaneohe died May 16 in Honolulu. Born in China, she is survived by sons Bellamann, Kenneth and Howard; daughters Queency Kam, Ellen Akuna and Grace Yee; 25 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. Private services.
John S. Higuchi, 65, of Mililani, a retiree of U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Postal Service, died Wednesday in Kuakini Hospital. Born in Aiea, he is survived by wife Mieko H.; sons Randall T.K. and Michael L.K.; daughter Liann N. Minakami; brothers Sam K., Tom T. and Shingo; sister Nancy N. Gould; and two grandchildren. Services: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Mililani Mortuary-Waipio, mauka chapel. Call after 6 p.m. Casual attire. No flowers.
Dylan K.K. Kahakua, infant son of Alicia M. Kahakua and Gabriel K. Dela Cruz of Pahoa, died May 22 in San Diego Children’s Hospital. He is also survived by sister Shenicia K.; grandparents William and Pamela Kahakua Jr. and Dorma “Jo” and Billy D. “Bojay” Lato and Gabriel and Debra Adviento Jr.; and great-grandparents Theodore and Puanani Ermitino and William and Thelma Kahakua Sr. and Gabriel and Rowena Adviento and Gwen and Fred Segovia; and great-great-grandmother Eleanor Kim. Services: 8 p.m. Tuesday at Memorial Mortuary. Call 6-9 p.m. Graveside services: 11 a.m. Wednesday at Alae Cemetery. Casual attire.
David K. “Coach Sonny” Kakaio Jr., 61, of Waipahu, a maintenance worker with Herbert K. Horita Real Estate Co., died Tuesday in St. Francis Hospital. Born in Honolulu, she is survived by mother Lillian; and sisters Lily Olandy, Hazel Osurman, Edna Chong and Beatrice Dacoscos. Private services.
Larry H. Murakami, 58, of Honolulu, a retired forklift operator with Fleming Foods, died Monday in Kaiser Hospital. Born in Pauuilo, Hawaii, he is survived by wife Shirley K.; and sisters Etsuko Miyaji, Hitoye Adams, Sumie Okuni and Chiyoe Yonamine. Services: 6 p.m. Tuesday at Hosoi Garden Mortuary. Private inurnment. Casual attire. No flowers.
James K. Nakamoto, 79, of Honolulu, a retired painter, died Thursday in Queen’s Hospital. Born in Ewa, he is survived by wife Shizuko; son Glenn A.; daughters Kay Iwanaga and Judy Tajima; brother George; sister Elsie Devorak; and two grandchildren. Services: 6 p.m. Wednesday at Nuuanu Memorial Park Mortuary. Cremation to follow. Casual attire. No flowers.
Masayoshi “Masa” Nakano, 79, of Honolulu, a World War II veteran, died Tuesday in Nasu-machi, Tochigi-ken, Japan. He is survived by sisters Kiyoko Fujimoto and June Alo. Services: noon Tuesday at Nuuanu Memorial Park Mortuary. Burial: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl. Casual attire. No flowers.
Robert B. Pettengill, 93, of Kailua died Thursday in Kailua. Born in Harlem, N.Y., he is survived by wife Janet; sons Kenneth Brooks and John, David, R. Nathaniel and Gregory Pettengill; daughters Cherie Mitchell, Evelyn Larsen, Mary Peoples, Estelle Pettengill, Gail French and Padmani Brown; 16 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Memorial services: 5 p.m. Monday at First Unitarian Church, 2500 Pali Highway. Casual attire. No flowers. Donations suggested to First Unitarian Church.
Gilbert Reyes, 56, of Kaunakakai died Wednesday in St. Francis Hospital. He is survived by wife Linda A.; sons Gilbert Jr., Elroy, Jason and Clint “Kalani”; daughter Gilberta M.L. “Kuulei”; mother Christita; brothers Charles “Boogie,” George and Lawrence “Dada”; sister Oriette “Rita” Pastrans; and three grandchildren. Mass: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Sophia Catholic Church, Kaunakakai. Call after 8 a.m. Burial: Kapaakea Cemetery.
Chantelle A. Toribio, infant daughter of Rolando and Marieta of Lahaina, died Thursday in Maui Memorial Hospital. She is also survived by brother Rolly-James; sister Krystle M.; and grandparents Petronilo Toribio and Florida Asper. Graveside services: 8:30 a.m. Monday at Maui Memorial Park.
John D. Ziats Jr., 84, of Kailua-Kona died Tuesday in Keauhou Rehabilitation Healthcare Center. He was known as John’s Famous Stews in Indianapolis. Born in Pennsylvania, he is survived by wife Geraldine; son John M.; daughters Linda J. Hodgin, Carolyn Hartfield, Shirley A. Fratangelo-Ziats and Michelle L. Evans; brothers Jimmy, Andrew, Robert, Joseph and Frankie; sister Mary Kuchler; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Private services.
Monday, June 2, 1997
Wilbur J. "Web" Berg, 62, of Aiea, died May 26 in Kapiolani Hospital at Pali Momi. He was born in Stockton, Calif. Survived by wife Helen; son David; daughters Diane Turnbow, Susie Esperanza and Jan McAdams; brothers Herbert, Clarence, Donald and Albert; sisters Ruth Hill and Dorothy Berg, and six grandchildren. No services. Ashes to be scattered at sea.
Katherine Gomes Campbell,77, of Hilo, a homemaker, died last Monday at Hilo Medical Center. She was born in Hilo. Survived by sons Leo, Roy, Robert, Wayne and Richard; daughters Anna Wallwork and Katherine "Pee Wee" Campbell; brothers Joseph Camacho, Ivan Camacho, Antone Camacho and David Camacho; sister Agnes Kuhl, 30 grandchildren and 49 great-grandchildren. Service: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Dodo Mortuary. Friends may call 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Dodo Mortuary. Cremation to follow. Casual attire. No flowers.
Tadao Fukuda,84, a retired auto parts deliveryman for Craig's Automotive Co., died Saturday at Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi. He was born in South Kona. Survived by wife Tatsuno; daughters Hope K. Dixon, Ann F. Fukuda and Jill S. Tanabe; brother Peter Fukuda; sister Miyoshi Akao, four grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Service: 6 p.m. Wednesday at the chapel of Hosoi Garden Mortuary. Casual attire. No flowers.
Kenneth Wayne Howard,55, of Kihei, Maui, a Realtor, died Wednesday at Maui Memorial Hospital. He was born in Waukesha, Wis. Survived by mother Grace Y. Howard; sons Jackson Sterling and John D.P., and brother James L. Service: Memorial rites and scattering of ashes at sunset Wednesday at Pookela Canoe Club on North Kihei Beach.
Sonny P. Kau, 74, of Honolulu died Thursday in Hale Pulama Mau Nursing Home. He was born in Honolulu. Survived by nephew Solomon Wainee Jr. and sister-in-law Dolores. Services: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Borthwick Mortuary. Call from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Burial: Hawaiian Memorial Park. Aloha attire.
Robert R. Moyer,75, of Lahaina, Maui, a security guard in Kapalua, died Thursday at Maui Memorial Hospital. He was born in Fleetwood, Pa. Survived by wife Mary M. Moyer; daughter Barbara Bright; sons Terry L., Steven C., Kerry R., Perry and Timothy D.; sister Margie Youse, and 11 grandchildren. Service: 2 p.m. Wednesday at Ballard Mortuary in Kahului, Maui. Burial: Thursday morning at Maui Veterans Cemetery, Makawao, Maui. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association.
Hideo Oshita,73, of Pearl City, a retired systems analyst for the federal government, died May 25 at his home. He was born in Pepeekeo. Survived by wife Kimiko; son Patrick; daughter Eileen M. Lau; brothers Tsuneo, Hitoshi and Edward; sisters Fujie Kawachika, Miyoko Marumoto and Sachie Murata, and two grandchildren. Services were private.
