Obituaries

Monday, January 11, 1999

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Wilma Castro Ah Nee 73, of Honolulu, died Wednesday in Honolulu. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by daughters Wilma Pacheco, Lehua Galuteria, Ardis Gomes and Anela; son Kevin; brothers Antone Medeiros and John De Castro; sister Lani Lapera, 11 grandchildren 14 great-grandchildren. Services: 7 p.m. Friday at Kawaiahao Church. Call: 5 to 9 p.m. Private inurnment at a later date.

Yoshiko Akemoto, 86, of Honolulu died Dec. 15 in Leahi Hospital. She was born on Maui. She is survived by sons Stanley and George; daughter Betty Mizuguchi; brother Masaichi Okamura, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Private services.

Masajiro Asato, 94, of Aiea, retired proprietor of Asato Grocery Store, died Dec. 18 at Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi. He was born in Okinawa, Japan. He is survived by wife Helen; sons Francis, William, Melvin and Maurice; daughters Gladys Ino, Florence Batula and Judy Morimoto; brother Kamesuke, 21 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Services were private.

George Tumaneng Balanay, 84, of Waipahu, who retired from Oahu Sugar Plantation, died Tuesday in Waipahu. He was born in the Philippines. He is survived by wife Consuelo; daughters Florence Hubacek and Vikki; brothers Alfredo and Nepomuceno; sisters Aurelia Lagadon and Tomasa Mina; two grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and a great-great grandson. Wake service: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Mililani Mortuary, mauka chapel. Call: 6 to 9 p.m. Funeral service: 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the mauka chapel. Call after 8:30 a.m. Interment to follow at 11 a.m. at Mililani Memorial Park. Casual attire.

Evelyn Wong Benz, 76, of Laguna Beach, Calif., formerly of Honolulu and Mayville, N.Y., a retired employee for Sheraton Hotels, died Jan. 2. She was born in Hilo. She is survived by husband E. Francis; sons Rexford Jr., Alfred, George and Ronald Newman; daughters Jennifer Wohler, Barbara Napoleon and Geraldean Gargano, and 14 grandchildren. Services in California.

Helen Dunn, 95, of Honolulu, a director with the Girl Scouts, died Dec. 20 in Honolulu. She was born in East Orange, N.J. She is survived by brother Thomas Cantine. Private services.

Lloyd Eichi Fujita, 46, of Honolulu, a former owner and proprietor for Mid-Pacific Fishery, died Wednesday at Kuakini Medical Center. He was born in Hilo. He is survived by parents Roy Hideo and Kameyo Fujita, and brothers Irvin and Craig. Service: 6 p.m. Wednesday at Hosoi Garden Mortuary. No flowers. Casual attire.

George K. Gonsalves, 70, of Hauula, who retired from the U.S. Air Force, died Wednesday in Hauula. He was born in Manoa. He is survived by wife May S.; children Lillian H. Kekahu, Elaine P., George K. Jr., John K., James K., David K., Debra E. and William M. Gonsalves and Linda K. Cooper; brother Peter K.; sisters Elvina “Tita” Fuller and Rose “Loke” Lizado, 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Services: 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary. Call after 11 a.m. Burial: Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery. Casual attire.

Takaharu Higuchi, 74, of Waldport, Ore., a design engineer, died Nov. 21 at home. He was born in Honolulu. He is survived by wife Sylvia; daughter Jessica M. Higuchi-Hernandez, and sons Jon Y., Bruce M. and Daniel M. Memorial services: 3 p.m. Jan. 22 at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl.

Luka K. Laa, 77, of Ewa Beach, a retired longshoreman, died last Monday in St. Francis Hospital. He was born in Kahuku. He is survived by wife Annie P.; daughters Emmalani Crawford, Yvonne Ng, Elizabeth Gomez and Annie Laa; brother Joseph K., 13 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. No services.

Anna Ah Ngan Lai, 81, of Honolulu died Friday in St. Francis Hospital. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by husband Daniel Fook Len; son Calvin; daughters Lynette Chew, Leonie Calunod, Lurena Orosz and Joanne Parker; five brothers; two sisters, 16 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Call from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Borthwick Mortuary. Burial: Hawaiian Memorial Park. Casual attire.

Francis Paunani Mawae, 58, of Mililani, maintenance chief of Windjammer Cruises, died Dec. 26 at Wahiawa General Hospital. He was born in Honolulu. He is survived by wife Catherine; sons Francis Jr., Franciscus “Tiger,” Francisco “Tiny” and Rockne; daughters Percina Holley, Rochelle Dupont and Rosiline Mawae, and 14 grandchildren. Service: Saturday aboard Windjammer Cruises, Pier 7; arrive by 11 a.m., sailing at noon. No flowers. Aloha attire.

Godioso Montibon, 63, of Ewa Beach, a retired truck driver with the Army Air Force Exchange, died Jan. 3 in Kapiolani Hospital at Pali Momi. He was born in South Hilo. He is survived by wife Betty; son Warren; mother Marciana; brothers Jerry Alidon and Bobby and Arnold Montibon; sisters Linda Auditor, Barbara Hanog, Rena Quiton, Vivian Ankalea, Patsy Wilheim and Aggy Kagawa, and two grandchildren. Mass: 7 p.m. Thursday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. Call from 6 to 9 p.m. Services: 12:15 p.m. Friday at Borthwick Mortuary. Call after 10:30 a.m. Burial: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl. Casual attire.

Shizuko Nakamichi, 80, of Honolulu, a homemaker, died Jan. 2 at her home. She was born in Hilo. She is survived by husband Katsuyoshi; daughters Nancy Uno and Jane Yamada, and two grandchildren. Services were private.

Warren Fumio Nakamura, 84, of Honolulu, a retired carpenter, died Wednesday at Nuuanu Hale. He was born in Honolulu. He is survived by wife Beatrice; sons Mel “Mac” and Earl; daughter Janice Tashiro; brother William; stepbrothers Charles, Sakai and Edward Kubo; stepsisters Beatrice Suemori and Takeko Miyasato, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Service: 6 p.m. Thursday at Hosoi Garden Mortuary. Burial: 10:30 a.m. Friday at Diamond Head Memorial Park. No flowers. Casual attire.

Mildred C.K.S. Naone, 82, of Honolulu died Dec. 30 in Honolulu. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by daughters Twila Uina and Michelle Knight; brother Alfred Chang; sisters Thelma Johnson and Edith Chang, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Call from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nuuanu Chapel. Services: 11 a.m. Friday at Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary. Call after 9 a.m. Burial: Greenhaven Memorial Park. Casual attire.

Teodorico V. Orpilla, 89, of Waipahu, who retired from the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, died Jan. 1 in North Las Vegas. He was born in the Philippines. He is survived by wife Josephine, stepsons Tony and Arnel Turla; stepdaughters Marietta Umaguing and Merliza Vitolo; sister Filomena, and eight grandchildren. Services: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Nuuanu Memorial Park Mortuary. Call from 6 to 9 p.m. Mass: 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Joseph's Church. Call after 8:30 a.m. Burial: Valley of the Temples.

Mary Ann K. Park, 59, of Honolulu, a cashier with Chevron, died Wednesday in Honolulu. She is survived by daughters Ursula, Kim, Rodianne “Chic” and Queenie; son Rodney “Bubba”; sisters Henrietta Orta, Julia Belisario, Louise Kapana, Carol Jean Kapuakela, Eliza Martin, Sandra Evans, Sharon Kiilehua, Dorothy Moore, and Doreen, Elizabeth, Margaret, Danielle and Barbara Kapuakele; brothers Stephen, Harold, Thomas, Robert and Abraham Kapuakele, and three grandchildren. Service: 7 p.m., Wednesday at Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary. Call: 6 to 9 p.m. Cremation to follow. Aloha attire. No flowers.

Tetsuji “Kelly” Tagawa, 89, of Paia, Maui, a retired power plant operator with HC&S Co., died Jan. 1 in Maui Memorial Hospital. He was born in Hamakuapoko, Maui. He is survived by son Kenneth; daughters Elaine Hamada and Amy Blue, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Private services.

Thomas T. Takahashi Jr., 58, of Las Vegas, formerly of Makakilo, died Dec. 26 in Las Vegas. He was born in Hawaii. He is survived by wife Nellie K.; sons Thomas III and Tenny; daughters Terena Palakiko and Tahnee Yates; brothers Bert, Melvin and Dennis Takahashi, Richard Makalena and Arthur Soares; sisters Marion Chun, Kay Nouchi, Debra Dzonlic, Aileen Naboa, Lisa Cuba, Davette Kawachi and Marlene Souki, and 10 grandchildren. Services: 1 p.m. Wednesday at Mililani Mortuary-Waipio, makai chapel. Call after 10 a.m. Burial: Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery. Casual attire. No flowers.

Aviti Taoa, 44, of Honolulu, a security guard with the state, died Dec. 7. He was born in American Samoa. He is survived by sons Berman and Mark; sister Tagiilima Legatasi, and two grandchildren. Private services.