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Nelson, who put
sparkle in city
Christmases, diesHe created 'Shaka Santa' and
By Harold Morse
other ornaments to light up Honolulu Hale
Star-BulletinKurt Nelson, 50, of Ninole, Hawaii, who as an early creator of holiday Honolulu City Lights sculpted the giant "Shaka Santa" that presides over City Hall at Christmas time, died Wednesday at his home.
"He was the first one who did all the initial decorations of Honolulu City Lights," said wife Shon Magsalin.
He was hired by Carol Costa of the mayor's office in the late 1980s for the task, she said.
Shaka Santa, 21 feet high from big toe to extended pinkie, made his first appearance at City Hall in 1989 along with teddy bears and candy canes sculpted by Nelson.
Mike Smith of the city Department of Parks and Recreation sculpted Mrs. Claus in time for Christmas 1994.
"He was a fantastic person, very open," Smith said, referring to his former mentor.
"He was sharing. I don't know -- I never met a person like him," Smith said. "He wasn't intimidated by anything. He wasn't afraid to conquer, try anything. I really thought he was a great guy. He taught me a lot."
Born in Ludlow, Mass., Nelson came from an artistic family.
On a stop in Hawaii, someone started him doing design work in local community theater, and he wound up staying in the islands.
Later, he and two friends formed a company doing artistic work. But they drifted apart, and Nelson went solo as an art director.
In addition to work here, he did work in other countries.
But making huge Christmas decorations in Hawaii may have been his favorite thing.
Nelson also is survived by his father, Edward; sister, Barbara Maxwell; brother, Karl; and nieces and nephews.
Services are private.
Francis K. Amado, 68, a retired security guard from the U.S. Army, died Sunday at home. He was born in Hakalau, Hawaii. He is survived by wife Marie M.; sons Kenneth K., Daven K., William K. and Joshua P.; daughters Beverly P. Lamprich and Loddie P. Amado; brothers Absalon, Rudy and Joe; sisters Elizabeth Gustavus, Louise Cooper, Margaret Reldel, Katie Perry, Rose Hawk, Harriet Quick, Mary Kaihe and Ester Root; 19 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Services on the mainland.
Chasity P.N. Cardoza-Salomon, 4, of Ookala, Hawaii died last Friday in North Hawaii Community Hospital. She was born in Hilo. She is survived by mother Patricia Salomon; father John V. Cardoza III; brothers Scott J. Mattos and John V. Cardoza IV; sisters Carina and Ciana Salomon-Torres and Nina V. and Saraiya K. Cardoza; grandparents Karen Salomon, John V. Cardoza Jr. and Jessie D. Anderson; and great-grandparents Kirino "Chris" and Pacita "Pat" Salomon, Manuel Andrade and Evelyn Cardoza. Services: 7 p.m. Monday at St. Anthony's Catholic Church. Call after 6 p.m. Prayer services: 9 a.m. Tuesday at the church. Call after 8 a.m. Burial to follow. Casual attire. No flowers.
William Y.L. "Bill" Chang, 71, of Ewa Beach, who retired from the federal government, died Feb. 8 in St. Francis-West Hospital. He was also a golf instructor with the state Department of Education. He was born in Honolulu. He is survived by wife Beatrice "Bea"; sons Ralden J. and Jason R.; stepdaughter Lois Kong; brother Edward Chow; sisters Winifred and Nancy Lee and Beatrice Laing; and two grandchildren. Memorial services: 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at Mililani Mortuary-Waipio, mauka chapel. Call after 11:30 a.m. Inurnment: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl. Casual attire. No flowers.
Nancy S. Chock, 77, of Kaneohe, who retired from Industrial Indemnity, died Monday at home. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by son Brian and two grandchildren. Buddhist services: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Borthwick Mortuary. Call after 5:30 p.m. Private burial. Casual attire.
Anthony Conjugacion Jr., 68, of Waimanalo, a retired police sergeant, died Tuesday at home. He is survived by daughter Irmalee K. Matsui, sons Noland K. and Tony, sisters Laurie Walser and Lucille Williams, six grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. Memorial services: 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at Diamond Head Mortuary. Condolences suggested between 9 and 11 a.m. Prayer services to follow. Private inurnment. In lieu of flowers, donations suggested. Casual attire.
Antonia F. Dufale, 83, of Honolulu, died Saturday in Kapiolani Hospital at Pali Momi. She is survived by son John Lopez, daughter Winifred Colon, brother Fano Figueroa, 21 grandchildren, and 46 great-grandchildren. Services: 11 a.m. Tuesday at Nuuanu Mortuary. Call after 8 a.m. Burial: Valley of the Temples.
Domingo O. Ergina, 61, of Honolulu, died Feb. 9 in St. Francis-West Hospice. He was born in Sorsogon, the Philippines. He is survived by sisters Trinidad Ergina Baron, Maria Ergina and Beatriz Ergina Pineda; and brothers Geronimo and Mario. Wake services: 7 p.m. Sunday at Mililani Downtown Mortuary. Call from 6 to 9 p.m. Mass: 9:30 a.m. Monday at St. John the Baptist Church, 2324 Omilo Lane. Burial: Valley of the Temples. Casual attire.
Abe K. Fiaai, 36, of Kapolei, will be remembered in memorial services and scattering of ashes at noon Sunday at 91-489 Ewa Beach Road. He was stabbed to death Feb. 7 in Kapolei. He was born in Honolulu. He is survived by wife Sabrina; sons Abe Jr., Gabriel and Jacob Fiaai and Nelson and Brian Seda; daughter Amber; brothers Francis Fiaai and George Lum-Lung; and sister Loraine Shoaf.
Kameyo Fujita, 70, of Honolulu, died last Friday. She was born in Kukuihaile, Hawaii. She is survived by husband Roy; sons Irvin and Craig; brothers Kazuto, Sakuji and Shiro Yamada; and sisters Naoe Fujii, Misae Miyasaki, Hisae Ogasawara and Michie Kaneshiro. Memorial services: 6 p.m. Wednesday at Nuuanu Mortuary. Casual attire. No flowers.
Tamotsu "Tamo" Kajiwara, 84, of Honolulu, a retired sales manager for Y. Hata & Co., died Monday at home. He was born in Paumalu. He is survived by wife Fujie; daughter Carolyn Jarvis; brothers Atsumu and Akira; sisters Setsuko Nakamura, Nobuko Tsue, Shigeko Yamamoto and Alice Niimi; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Services: 6 p.m. Tuesday at Hosoi Garden Mortuary. Call after 5 p.m. Cremation to follow.
Harry N. Keller, 80, a mechanical engineer, died Sunday at home. He was born in New York. He is survived by wife Ruth, daughters Susan Dickinson and Karen Floor, son Nicholas, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Private inurnment.
Miner A. Lii, 85, of Honolulu, died Feb. 9 in Convalescent Center. He is survived by daughter Sandra Kaniho; sons Miner Loka and Raymond and Dexter Lii; sister Thelma Duvauchelle; brother Lawrence; 14 grandchildren; and great-grandchildren. Memorial services and scattering of ashes: 10 a.m. tomorrow at Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Lagoon. Call after 9 a.m. Casual attire.
Richard Kui Ling, 76, of Honolulu, a retired shipfitter and carpenter with Pearl Harbor, died Wednesday at home. He was born in Waipahu. He is survived by wife Sarah Hagan; sons Frank, Andrew and Byron; daughter Sharon; brothers Alan and Frank; sister Florence Lum; and 11 grandchildren. Services: 7 p.m. Tuesday at Borthwick Mortuary. Call from 6 to 9 p.m. Mass: 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Philomena Church. Call after 8 a.m. Burial: Hawaiian Memorial Park. Aloha attire.
Dr. Ray K. Maesaka, 66, of Indianapolis, died Feb. 9 in Indiana. He was chairman of Indiana University's undergraduate division of the department of fixed and removable partial prosthodontics and later became director of clinical denistry. He was born in Hawaii. He is survived by wife Margaret N., mother Shizuko, sons Michael H. and John F., sister Frances Winsor, and brothers John K. and Clifford T. Maesaka. Services on the mainland. Memorial contributions suggested to Indiana University School of Dentistry or Indiana University Basketball Program.
Patrick B. "Pat" Manijo, 84, of Haleiwa, who retired from Wheeler Intermediate School, died Feb. 10 in St. Francis-West Hospital. He was also a certified welder for Barbers Point Oil Refinery. He was born in Cebu, the Philippines. He is survived by wife Elizabeth J. "Liz"; sons Patrick H. and Thomas L.; stepson Robert D. Santiago; daughters Priscilla Banasihan, Carolyn Gasalin, Iris Manijo-Bickford, Kathy Fujishige and April Manijo; stepdaughter Roberta D. Nascimento; sisters Jayne Seelye, Balbina Stokes and Janet Ribiero; 24 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. Services: 10:30 a.m. Monday at Mililani Mortuary-Waipio, makai chapel. Call after 8:30 a.m. Burial: Mililani Memorial Park. Casual attire.
Harry T. "Weasel" Matsuura, 85, of Pearl City, a retired U.S. Postal Service worker at Hickam Air Force Base Post Office, died Jan. 25 in St. Francis-West Hospital. He was born in Pearl City. He is survived by sister Eleanor Shibata. Memorial services: 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Mililani Mortuary-Waipio, mauka chapel. Call after 10:30 a.m. Private inurnment. Casual attire. No monetary or floral donations.
Merle M. Raymond, 59, of Honolulu, died Jan. 29. She was born in Waianae. She is survived by sons Malcolm, Jerry, Ronald, Gary and Shannon Yahiku; daughters Michelle Yahiku and Jo Ann Raymond; brothers Frederick and Ronald Lopes, Elroy Yuen and Kenneth Sam; sisters Grace Abe, Roselle Soon, Anna Heney, Ramona Gerhart and Wilma Marquez; companion Jerry T. Yahiku; 16 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Services: 6 p.m. Monday at Hosoi Garden Mortuary. Call from 5 to 8 p.m. Cremation to follow. Casual attire. No flowers.
Charles E. Scott Jr., also known as "Scottie" or "Uncle Scottie," 80, of Charlevoix, Mich. and Hawaii, died Jan. 29 in Emmet County Hospital in Harbor Springs, Mich. He was born in Charlevoix, Mich. He is survived by sisters Angie Supernaw, Amelia Gregory and Edna Preston. No services. Burial: Hawaiian Memorial Park. Memorial contributions suggested to the Emmet County Medical Care Facility, Harbor Springs, MI 49740.
Gilbert E. Searle, 72, of Hilo, a retired cattle rancher, died Sunday in Hilo Hospital. He was born in Hilo. He is survived by wife Bernice, and sisters Anna and Gladys Helbush and Anna Mae Apoliona. Private services.
Kiyoko N. Shimizu, 78, of Honolulu, died Dec. 12 in Greenwich, Conn. She is survived by daughter Cynthia Jelic, sister Edith Makizuru, brother Ernest Nagai, and a granddaughter. Memorial services: 11 a.m. tomorrow at Manoa Valley Church. Casual attire. No flowers.
Emily L. Van Skyhawk, 92, of Kealakekua, Hawaii, a retired pharmacy clerk, died Feb. 10 in Kona Community Hospital. She was born in New York. She is survived by son William. No services.
May T. Suzuki, 69, of Honolulu, died Jan. 1. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by husband Yukihisa, sons Edmund, Andrew and Geoffrey, brother Toshiaki Kimura, and five grandchildren. Private services.
Christina M.R.M. Sydserff, 71, of Waikoloa, Hawaii, died Monday at home. She was born in Haddington, Scotland. She is survived by husband Peter M., son David, daughter Seonaid Nakata, sister Marion Rollo, and a grandchild. Memorial services: 10 a.m. tomorrow at Imiola Church in Waimea. Call from 9 to 11 a.m. Fellowship to follow. Private burial. Casual attire.
James A. Weeks, 70, of Ventura, Calif., who retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Pacific Ocean Division in Honolulu, died Feb. 2. He was born in San Luis Obispo. He is survived by children Diantha Sherman, Allen St. James, Susan Kelly and Steve Weeks. Burial: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl.
Koume Yamamoto, 102, of Honolulu died Jan. 28. She was born in Hiroshima Ken, Japan. She is survived by sons Frank, Edward and Harry; daughters Jean Hayashi, Lily Harada, Mary Osato and Fusako Kawamura; nine grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. Private services.
Jitsuo "Joe" Yoshida, 87, of Hilo, a retired postal worker, died Wednesday in Hilo Hospital. He was also a retired master sergeant from the U.S. Army. He was born in Hilo. He is survived by wife Hatsuko, son Michael, stepson Gary Sakamoto, stepdaughter Janet Low, sister Harriet Eguchi, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Services: 11 a.m. Monday at Dodo Mortuary. Call from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Burial: Hawaii Veterans Cemetery No. 2. Casual attire.
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.
