Memorial rites
Tuesday for
Yetsuo Higa

The Wahiawa-born man
built his trucking business into
a multimillion-dollar company

More obituaries

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By Lori Tighe
Star-Bulletin

Yetsuo "Yets" Higa, the oldest of eight children from a working-class Wahiawa family, created a mini-empire of influence spanning trucks, soda pop, pizza and baseball.

He died Sunday from complications related to Alzheimer's disease. He was 84.

The urge to compete and make deals spurred him to build Y. Higa Enterprises into Oahu's largest trucking and storage business, a packing and crating business with worldwide connections, Pepsi-Cola bottling plants and Domino's Pizza in Japan.

A baseball lover, Higa also brought the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees to Hawaii and Japan to play ball.

"He was friends with all the Yankees, including Mickey Mantle. He had autographed bats and balls," said Mary Higa, married to Howard Higa, one of three surviving children. "He loved baseball and sports."

Higa was born in Honokaa, Hawaii, the son of an Okinawan contract laborer who moved the family to Wahiawa in 1923. Higa joined his dad's small trucking business soon after graduating from Leilehua High School in 1934 and expanded it from two trucks to a multimillion-dollar company.

In the early days, Higa often borrowed money from friends to buy trucks. He believed the only reason they loaned him money was because he was honest and kept his promises.

"If you are honest, people won't forget you," he had said.

Higa was head of the firm and four of his brothers worked with him.

When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Higa sent his trucks to help haul away the debris. But guards prevented him from entering Hickam Air Force Base because he was Japanese American.

"I told them I was born on the Big Island, and I was an American, but it didn't do any good. You can't argue with a bayonet," he had said.

The Navy called him later to ask for his trucking bill and he replied that he hadn't sent a bill because he felt it was his duty to help his country. The officer commended him for his patriotic duty.

Duty paid off. Eventually Higa had contracts for packing, crating and hauling from all military branches.

"He was a very strong personality who loved business and cared about his friends," said Mary Higa.

Higa dreamed of bringing a major league baseball franchise to Hawaii.

He even backed a dance troupe who performed at the Moulin Rouge in Paris.

Higa is survived by his wife Kazuko; sons Howard and Ernest; daughter Merle Okawaka; eight grandchildren and a great-grandchild. His son Arnold preceded him in death.

Visitation will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Hosoi Garden Mortuary. A memorial service is scheduled for 5 p.m.