NANCY LEE VON /
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANT

Marine animal advocate
pushed for war memorials

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Star-Bulletin staff

Nancy Lee Von, a public relations consultant and executive director of the Pacific Marine Life Foundation, died June 6. She was 60.

A resident of Honolulu since 1960, Von was associate editor of Hawaii Press Newspapers before starting her own firm, Nancy Von Public Relations, in 1976.

Her clients included Allied Builders System, Group 70, McCabe Hamilton & Renny and Safeguard Services.

She also did pro bono work to push for the Korean and Vietnam memorials on the state Capitol grounds.

"She really got behind the notion that these memorials should be done right for Hawaii," said Tom Stirling, who was active in pushing for the memorials.

Von also served as executive director of the Pacific Marine Life Foundation, an organization that supports education and research to save endangered animals. The group was founded in 1984 by two veterinarians who are co-owners of Dolphin Quest, which operates the dolphin encounter program at the Hilton Waikoloa and Kahala Mandarin hotels.

"She put a lot of energy into what she did for the Pacific Marine Life Foundation," said Bob Moore, general manager of the Hawaii Maritime Center and a member of the foundation's board of directors.

Moore said Von started as a volunteer, but her work became so involved that she eventually was compensated.

He said she was involved in programs to bring schoolchildren to the Hilton Waikoloa's Dolphin Quest to learn about marine mammals and helping to select research projects to fund.

Von was born in Hanover, N.H., and raised in Seattle. She was a graduate of the University of Washington School of Communications.

She was a member of the Public Relations Society of America, the Chamber of Commerce of Honolulu, the Pacific Club and the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

Von is survived by son Richard von Gnecten, daughter Heidi Wright, mother Beatrice Bennett, brother John Bennett, sisters Carolyn Bennett and Joan Bishop, and four grandchildren.

A celebration of Von's life is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Pacific Club, followed by the scattering of ashes off of Waikiki at the Hilton Hawaiian Village at 5:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Pacific Marine Life Foundation and the International Myeloma Foundation.