Developer Richard Tam
By Harold Morse
dies at 83
Star-BulletinLongtime Las Vegas real estate developer Richard Tam died July 5 in a Las Vegas hospital from complications following heart surgery. He was 83.
Tam was born in Makawao, Maui. His mother later ran three curio shops on Oahu.
Gilbert Tam, a relative and a senior vice president of Bank of Hawaii, said, "He's done a lot and has been a success and, unfortunately, those of us in Hawaii just did not know the man well enough. He could be a role model for many Hawaii residents. ... He just loved his alma mater, Punahou, and was always proud of Punahou.
"He was just very well-respected by the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. We had just started discussions with him about possible contributions to the University of Hawaii."
Richard Tam went to Las Vegas in the early 1950s as a vice president for National Dollar Stores of San Francisco, to negotiate a site and supervise building a retail store.
Shortly after, he left the San Francisco corporation to launch his own real estate development operation, finally moving to Las Vegas from San Francisco in 1966. Tam had joined the San Francisco-based National Dollar Store in 1939 at age 23.
In later years, he concentrated on successfully developing hundreds of acres of land in North Las Vegas. A Hawaii business associate was Richard Kelley, chairman of Hawaii-based Outrigger Hotels and resorts, who invested with Tam in a Nevada hotel.
Tam earlier attended Punahou School and the University of Hawaii. Later, he completed a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at Stanford. He also attended Columbia University's graduate school of business.
He was a benefactor of both Punahou and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, where the Richard Tam Alumni Center was named in his honor. Tam donated more than $1 million to UNLV and was presented an honorary UNLV law degree in 1995.
The twice-married Tam is survived by longtime companion Geraldine "Jeri" Ehrecke, daughter Judith Leslie Tam Sargent, sister Betty Wong and three grandchildren.
Victoriano Q. Anes, 92, of Pearl City died Saturday in Kapiolani Hospital at Pali Momi. He was born in the Philippines. He is survived by wife Adelaida; sons Robert and Adolfo; daughters Yolanda Tagomori and Marilyn Anes, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Services: 11:30 a.m. Monday at Nuuanu Mortuary. Call after 9 a.m. Burial: Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery. Iris J.K. Burnett, 53, of Lahaina, formerly of Honolulu, died last Thursday at home. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by husband William; son Peter Kaluna; daughters Crystal Johnson-Kodama, Melanie Pray, Reanna Burnett, Reyna Cisneros and Lisa L. Finley; sisters Kathy Berreth, Irene Peterson and Candace, Barbara, Pamela and Betty Johnson, and 22 grandchildren. Services in Lahaina. Call Melanie Pray, 667-7951.
Pablo A. "Andy" Calpito, 75, of Houston, formerly of Aiea, died Saturday at home. He was born in the Philippines. He is survived by wife Deborah; daughters Peggy Ann Griggs, Myra Peterson and Suzanne Calpito; sons Ronald, Randal and Paul; sisters Patricia Espiritu and Gloria Alboro; brother Sergio P., seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Services on the mainland.
Gladys M. Fonseca, 69, of Aiea, a retired social intaker of the city Elderly Affairs Division, died Sunday in Queen's Hospital. She was born in Puunene, Maui. She is survived by husband Pedro Jr.; sons Pedro III, Byron, Mario, Gregory and Pierson "Kepena"; daughters Anna Maria Fonseca and Teresa Ann Obrero; brother Charles K. Aiu Jr.; sister Whilemina Lee, and 23 grandchildren. Services: 7 p.m. Sunday at Borthwick Mortuary. Call from 6 to 9 p.m. Mass: 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa. Call from 8 to 10 a.m. at the mortuary. Burial: Hawaiian Memorial Park. Aloha attire.
Maui Kalakapua Hawaii, also known as Norman Hoopii Jr., 36, of Wailuku, a housekeeper for condominium units, died Monday in Maui Memorial Hospital. He was born in Wailuku, Maui. He is survived by father Norman; mother Bernadette "Cookie"; brother Malcolm; sister Donna, and grandparents Marion and Steven Dolim and Walter Hoopii. Prayer services: 4:30 p.m. Monday at Ballard Family Mortuary. Call from noon to 5 p.m. Cremation to follow. Aloha attire. Leis only.
Edwin M. Kameda, 85, of Honolulu, a retired Shell Oil plant foreman, died July 17. He was born in Waialua. He is survived by wife Michiko "Dora"; son Stephen; daughters Edwina Lee, Jeanette Arita and Linda Makinodan; brothers Shigeo, Toshio and Donald, 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Private services.
Jodeci M.K.U. Kealoha, of Kapolei is survived by great-grandmother Mary W. Incorrect information for an obituary published yesterday.
Pearle I. Meserve, 91, of Honolulu, a retired teacher, died last Thursday in Straub Hospital. She was born in Genoa, N.Y. She is survived by sister Ruby Seaman, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Private services. Contributions suggested to Makiki Environmental Education Center, Honolulu, or Ithaca Garden Club of New York.
Masako Nitta, 83, of Kahului, Maui, a retired seamstress, died Sunday in St. Francis-West Hospice. She was born in Lahaina. She is survived by daughter Carol N. Tomita and two grandchildren. Services: 4 p.m. Saturday at Kahului Hongwanji. Casual attire. No flowers.
Martha L.A. Ohls, 88, of Waianae died Friday in St. Francis Hospital. She was born in Newton, Kan. She is survived by sons Gene, Gary and Raymond Jr.; daughter Sharon Belle Wirth, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Services on the mainland.
Chisako Okada, 89, of Honolulu, a retired sales clerk for Ethel's Dress Shop, died Tuesday in Kuakini Hospital. She was born in Ewa. She is survived by daughter Caroline K. Uwono; brothers Kenso and Mitsuo Takaki, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Services: 4 p.m. Saturday at Nuuanu Congregational Church. Casual attire. No flowers.
Steven T. Oki, 26, of Honolulu, a Royal Hawaiian Shooting Club gun inspector, died Sunday in Straub Hospital. He is survived by parents Leonard and Carol; brother Patrick; sister Carolyn, and grandmother Michiyo. Services: 6 p.m. Monday at Diamond Head Mortuary. Call after 5 p.m. Casual attire.
Sukejiro Ozaki, 92, of Honolulu, a retired vegetable and flower farmer, died Saturday at home. He was also a proprietor of Moiliili Lawn Mower and Bicycle Shop. He was born in Honolulu. He is survived by wife Tazue; sons Alvin H., Roy T. and Allen M.; sisters Adeline Ozaki and Elsie Akizaki, and five grandchildren. Services: 6 p.m. Monday at Hosoi Garden Mortuary. Call after 5 p.m. Casual attire. No flowers.
Antony H. Perez, infant son of Antony and Sherlinda, died July 25 in Kapiolani Hospital. He is also survived by sister Brenda and grandparents Pius and Emma Henry and Alfred and Kitlok Perez. Services: 10 a.m. Saturday at Borthwick Mortuary, makai chapel. Call from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Burial: Mililani Memorial Park. Casual attire.
Violet K. Perreira, 69, of Pukalani, Maui, died Monday in Hale Makua. She was born in Paia, Maui. She is survived by son Thomas; daughter Karen, and brothers Henry J., Lawrence J. and Alexander H. Abreu. Services: 7 p.m. Tuesday at Ballard Family Mortuary. Call from 6 to 8 p.m. Mass: 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Call after 8 a.m. Burial: church cemetery. Aloha attire.
Dolores T. Quinata, 61, of Yigo, Guam, died Tuesday in Honolulu. She was born in Guam. She is survived by sons Francisco Jr. and Patrick; daughters Daria Mantanona, Thelma Perez, Josephine Santos, Christine Lindayen, Lillian-June Santos and Grace-Jean Santos; brothers John, Fred, Joseph and David Taimanglo; sisters Bennett Calvo and Frances Taimanglo, 11 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Services in Guam.
Abel De Rivero, 86, of Wahiawa, a retired city laborer, died July 21 in St. Francis-West Hospice. He was born in Haleiwa. He is survived by brother Noah and sisters Estrella Sarmiento and Beatrice Hibbard. Services: 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Church of the Nazarene, 1805 California Ave. Call after 9:30 a.m. Burial: Sunset Memorial Park. Casual attire. No flowers.
Dorothy H. Russell, 87, of Honolulu died Monday in Kaiser-Malama Ohana. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by sons William and Robert; daughter Betty Chun; brother Fred Watanabe; sister Sasayo Katahara, 10 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Services: 7 p.m. Monday at Borthwick Mortuary. Call from 6 to 8 p.m. Casual attire. No flowers.
Richard T. Sakata, 88, of Kaunakakai, a pharmacist, died last Thursday at home. He was born in Honolulu, he is survived by wife Eunice M.; daughter Judy Mikami; sister Frances C. Shirota, and three granddaughters. Memorial services: 2 p.m. Sunday at Kaunakakai Baptist Church. Call after 1 p.m. Services: 4 p.m. Tuesday at Hawaii Baptist Academy's Elementary Campus Chapel, 21 Bates St. Call after 3 p.m. Inurnment at Nuuanu Memorial Park at a later date. Aloha attire. No flowers. In lieu of flowers, donations suggested to Kaunakakai Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 1016, Kaunakakai 96748, or the Hawaii Baptist Academy, 21 Bates St., Honolulu, HI 96817.
Katherine L. Siemers, 78, of Honolulu, a monitor with Royal Elementary School, died Saturday in St. Francis Hospital. She was born in Charleston, S.C. She is survived by brother John and hanai sister Anna. Services: noon Tuesday at Nuuanu Mortuary. Call after 10:30 a.m. Burial: Hawaiian Memorial Park. Aloha attire. No flowers.
Francis Silva, 71, of Honolulu, a retired merchant marine with Sailors Union of the Pacific, died July 27 in Queen's Hospital. He was born in Honolulu. He is survived by wife Cecilia; son Richard; daughters Francine Paia, Donnie Hoover and Ella Webb; brothers John and Edmund, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Memorial services: 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Borthwick Mortuary. Call from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Aloha attire. No flowers.
Robert L. Stevenson, 84, of Manoa, president of First Insurance Co. of Hawaii, died Sunday in Straub Hospital. He was a World War II veteran. He was born in Honolulu. He is survived by wife Mary M. Fidler; daughter Bobbi Naukana; son Jack; sister Betty Grenier, seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Services: 3 p.m. Monday at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl. Aloha attire. No flowers. Donations suggested to Shriners Hospital For Crippled Children or Fort DeRussy Army Museum.
Lorenzo C. "Inso" Tamayo, 89, of Kekaha, Kauai, a retired field laborer with Kekaha Sugar Co., died Saturday in Kauai Veterans Hospital. He was born in the Philippines. He is survived by wife Margarita and son Scott C. Rosary: 7 p.m. tomorrow at St. Theresa Catholic Church. Call after 6 p.m. Mass: 11 a.m. Saturday at the church. Call after 9 a.m. Burial: Kekaha Public Cemetery. Casual attire.
Venancio B. Tano, 90, of Honolulu, a retired supervisor from Tripler Food Service Division, died Friday in Hale Malamala. He was born in the Philippines. He is survived by wife Flora; sons Mervyn, Kenneth, Stephen and Clayton; daughters Dorene Pitkin, Lorinda Welch, Vanessa Dupree and Lenora Tano; brothers Juan and Benito; sister Angela Tubon, and grandchildren; and great-grandchildren. Services: 11:30 a.m. Monday at Borthwick Mortuary. Call after 9:30 a.m. Burial: Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery. Casual attire.
Emily Mae Thompson, 90, of Kaneohe died last Thursday in Sister Maureen Keleher Hospice Center. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by daughters Alberta Gouveia and Carol Marx; sister Evelyn Almeida; brother Walter Faria, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Private services. Burial: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl.
You can also search the Hawaii State Library System's
Hawaii Newspaper Index online for older obituaries at:
http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/education/hcc/library/hiindex.html
The index, which goes back several decades,
is available via Telnet software.
