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Osayo Miura, 97, retired owner of H. Miura Store & Tailor Shop, which featured her custom-sewn surf shorts at 66-057 Kamehameha Highway in Haleiwa, died Nov. 9. Osayo Miura,
maker of Haleiwa
surf shorts, diesBy Harold Morse
Star-BulletinMiura ran an old-fashioned family-style business that sold kimonos, coconut buttons, zoris and other traditional items.
But the store was most famed for its custom-made surf shorts, with the sewing done on Singer sewing machines as old-fashioned as the store. Ready-made shorts were available, but the most popular were the ones Miura sewed.
An expert seamstress, she began sewing at age 14 and kept at it throughout her life.
Miura took over operation of the store from her father-in-law just before World War II.
During the war, she tailored uniforms for servicemen. She also specialized in civilian dress shirts, branching out into tailored surf shorts in the early 1950s. They became so popular that by the 1980s, the shorts accounted for half the store's business.
Although Miura sold the store to her daughter in 1968, she continued to sew there as the demand for tailor-made surf shorts continued. A number of celebrities ordered them, including movie stars Richard Chamberlain and George Peppard.
Miura was born in Kapaa, Kauai. She is survived by son James; daughters Katherine Kawaguchi, Irene Iwasa, Peggy Kalili, Jane Oda and Grace Yamada; brother Dr. James Yoshimura; sister Betty Yoshimura; daughters-in-law Sharon and Susan Miura; 25 grandchildren; and 42 great-grandchildren.
Private services were held.
Helen C. Camacho of Kailua, who retired from Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel, died Tuesday in Kailua. She was born in Waialua. She is survived by daughters Mildred Mosher and Bobbie Martinsen; sons Howard, Larry and Rollie; brothers Lawrence and Louis Correa; sister Madeline Jamieson; six grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Mass: 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. John Vianney Church, Kailua. Call after 9:30 a.m. Burial: Diamond Head Memorial Park. Casual attire.
Lynne R. Cohen-Valenta, 56, of Kahaluu, a business consultant, died Tuesday in Honolulu. She was born in Oregon. She is survived by husband Louis Jr., daughter Nadine Edelstein and mother M. Judyth Hurst. Private services. Donations suggested to American Cancer Society.
George Fernandez, 89, of Pukalani, Maui, who retired from the state Highways Division, died last Saturday in Maui Memorial Medical Center. He was also owner of the Fernandez Piggery in Pukalani, Maui. He was born in Pukalani. He is survived by friend and companion Dorothy Texeira; daughters Alice Tavares, Mary Ferreira, Elizabeth Rego and Barbara Silva; brother Raymond Texeira; 17 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. Mass: 11 a.m. Monday at St. Joseph Church in Makawao. Call after 8:30 a.m. Burial to follow. Casual attire.
Gloria T. Ganzagan, 75, of Honolulu, who was retired, died Wednesday in Honolulu. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by daughters Jean Bacon, Lorraine Teixeira and Glory Ann Connolley; brother Jame Togadi; sisters Rose Murphy, Ida Texeira and Irene Ordonez; 10 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild. Memorial services: 6-8 p.m. Friday at Olivet Baptist Church. Casual attire.
Gail K. Kawakami, 63, of Waipahu died Nov. 9 in St. Francis Medical Center. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by daughters Ernelle L.K. Pila and Dawn K.L. Lee, brothers Wayne and Russell Takano, sisters Denise Nashiro and Arline West, and a grandson. Wake services: 6:30 p.m. Monday at Mililani Mortuary-Waipio, mauka chapel. Call after 5 p.m. Private inurnment. Casual attire.
Thomas T. Kurozumi, 80, of Honolulu, a retired state Judiciary deputy sheriff, died Monday in Kuakini Medical Center. He was born in Honolulu. He is survived by wife Mitsue. Private services.
Carol C. Miller of Crowfields Lane, N.C., formerly of Kailua, a former legal secretary with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, died Wednesday at home. She is survived by daughter Susan King, sons Cliff and Scott, and two grandchildren. No services. Memorials suggested to Mountain Area Hospice, P.O. Box 16, Asheville, NC 28802.
May K. Mukai, 74, of Waimea, Kauai, a retired pharmacy aide with Waimea Dispensary, died Sunday in Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital. She was born in Makawao, Maui. She is survived by husband Shigeto; son Howard; daughters Sharla Matsumoto and Patti See; brothers Karl and Kaito Tomomitsu; and sisters Lily Higashi, Kashiko Tomomitsu, Ruth Spencer and Jessie Okuhara. Private services.
Patricia Ann S. Padua, 50, of Honolulu, a retired secretary for the state Department of Taxation, died Nov. 9. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by husband Albert, parents Hideji and Amy Otsu, brother John, and sisters Joan Yoshimori and Wendy Kimura. Private services.
Jean C. Pringle, 80, of Washington died Sept. 1 in Puyallup, Wash. She was born in Berkeley, Calif. She is survived by family Jack, Chuck, Jan and Donald Pringle and Maile and Doug Willrich, and four grandchildren. Memorial services: 1 p.m. Wednesday in St. Clement's Episcopal Church. Inurnment at a later date. Memorials suggested to the Associate Rector's Discretionary Fund at St. Clement's Church.
Yasuko "Joyce" Sato, 78, of Ewa died Wednesday in Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by daughters Joann Hale and Lois Matsuda, brother Hiromi "Hank" Ishizuka, sisters Janet Yasui and Charlotte Fernandes, four grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Services: 4 p.m. Sunday at Nuuanu Mortuary. Call after 3 p.m.
Mitsue "Mitzi" Tokoro, 76, of Kaneohe died Monday in Castle Medical Center. She was born in Pepeekeo, Hawaii. She is survived by husband Katsuma "Gilbert," daughters Sharon M. Urada and Carol T. Lee, sister Jean Gibo and two grandchildren. Services: 6 p.m. Tuesday at Hosoi Garden Mortuary. Burial: 10 a.m. Wednesday at Hawaiian Memorial Park. Casual attire. No flowers.
Alice Y. Tokunaga, 82, of Wailuku, a retired special-education teacher at Puunene School, died Nov. 9 at home. She was also co-founder of Maui Realty Co. Inc. She was born in Wailua. She is survived by son Kalani J., brother George Akita, sister Thelma Koizumi, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Private services.
Doris I. Uchino, 82, of Honolulu died Nov. 10. She was born in Hawaii. She is survived by sons Harold, Ronald and Donald; daughter Connie Aiona; and brother Richard Haru. Private services.
Kathleen J. Wakefield, 54, of Pahoa, Hawaii, died Oct. 31 in Hilo Medical Center. She was born in California. She is survived by son William Bruce, mother Francis Sims, brother Blain Bramble and two granddaughters. Private services.
Patricia J. Wallace, 50, of Honolulu died Wednesday in Queen's Medical Center. She was born in Honolulu. She is survived by sons Patrick and Brandon; brothers Gilbert Jr., Daryl, Douglas and Dennis; sister Lisa; and a grandchild. Services: 7 p.m. Tuesday at Borthwick Mortuary. Call after 6 p.m. Casual attire.
Edward "Eddie" Watanabe, 91, of Lihue, a retired business owner of Kauai Chemical Products, died Nov. 6 at home. He was born in Mana, Kauai. He is survived by wife Tomoke; son Steven; daughters Shirley Hashimoto, Ann Ogata and Kay Kano; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Private services.
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 of the library's microfilm archive, which goes
back several decades, is available via Telnet software.
