Obituaries 1-13

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Arrangements by Borthwick Hawaii Funeral Home.

Masakazu Uemura

A death notice for Masakazu “Masa” Uemura, 88, of Honaunau, which ran Thursday, contained incorrect service information. Friends may call at 2 p.m. Jan. 14 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Keei Ward for a 3:30 p.m. service. Burial follows at Keei Cemetery.


Editor’s note: Obituaries are published free of charge as a public service. The content is subject to editing to ensure parity treatment and style continuity.

Date of publication cannot be guaranteed. Memorial advertisements may be purchased through the newspaper advertising department.


George Madden VI

George Ralph Madden VI, 68, of Hilo, died Jan. 9 at his residence. Born in Kansas City, Mo., he was the manager for Pacific Consolidated Investments, member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hilo, Cursillos Ministry of the Roman Catholic Church and Navy veteran.

Friends may call at 10 a.m. Jan. 16 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hilo for an 11:30 a.m. rosaryand 12:15 p.m. Mass. Urn committal will take place at Hawaii Veterans Cemetery No. 2 at a later date.

He is survived by wife, Jean Madden, of Hilo; sons, George (Amy) Madden VII and Chris (Keana Okuda) Madden, both of Hilo; daughters, Paulette (Fred Harris) Madden, of San Diego, Catherine Madden, of Honolulu; sister, Patricia Neeley, of Kansas; numerous nieces and nephews.

Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.


Bennie Bladen

Bennie Lou Bladen, 87, of Kailua-Kona, formerly of Ocean View, died Dec. 20 at Life Care Center of Kona. Born May 27, 1924, in Shreveport, La., she was a sales clerk for a retail store.

Friends may call at noon Jan. 17 at the West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery in Kailua-Kona for a service. The family requests casual attire be worn. Flowers are welcome.

She is survived by husband, Alfred Bladen, of Kailua-Kona; sons, Jack (Patricia) Bladen, of Tualatin, Ore., Keith (Tita) Bladen, of El Dorado Hills, Calif.; brother, Frank (Helen) Buehler, of Mill Valley, Calif.; one grandson; three nieces.

Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.


James Wang

Dr. James Chia Fang Wang, 85, of Hilo, died Dec. 30 at Hilo Medical Center. Born in 1926 in Nanling County, Anhui Province, China, he worked at the United Nations in New York, Punahou School and the East-West Center in Honolulu, was a political science professor with the University of Hawaii at Hilo and served on the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission, including as its chairman.

Friends may call at 3 p.m. Jan. 28 at Dodo Mortuary chapel for a celebration of life. Family requests casual attire be worn. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to either the University of Hawaii Foundation (designated for the University of Hawaii at Hilo), at P.O. Box 11270, Honolulu, HI 96828-0270 or to the Alzheimer’s Association, Aloha Chapter, 1055 Kinoole St., Suite 103, Hilo, HI 96720.

He is survived by wife, Sarah Wang, of Hilo; son, Eric Wang, of Waimea; daughter, Sarah (James) Wang, of Honolulu; three grandchildren.

Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.


James Baker

James Warren Baker, 52, of Kailua-Kona, died Jan. 5. Born in Quincy, Mass., he was an Army veteran and worked as a concrete mason.

Private services are planned.

He is survived by wife, Deborah Baker, of Kailua-Kona; father, Eugene Baker, of Kentucky; daughter, Salene (Jeremy Nerbonne) Baker, of Weymouth, Mass.; son, Aaron Baker, of Kailua-Kona; brothers, Richard Baker, Joey (Nicole) Zanghi and Carmen (Carole) Zanghi, all of Massachusetts, Marc Baker, of Kentucky; sister, Cynthia Baker, of Massachusetts; one grandchild.

Arrangements by A Hui Hou Crematory & Funeral Home of West Hawaii.


Simeon Crawford

Simeon “Sims” Kuulei Crawford, 70, of Waikoloa and Wahiawa, Oahu, died Dec. 26 at his Waikoloa residence. Born May 3, 1941, in Honolulu, he was a truck driver for RHS Lee Trucking Co. in Honolulu and a member of Operating Engineers Local 3.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

He is survived by daughters, Rowena (Augie) Morlock, of Wahiawa, Oahu, Miranda (George) Coronel, of Kailua-Kona, Desiree Crawford-Bonner, of Waianae, Oahu; sons, Samuel (Li-Ann) Crawford, of Waianae, Oahu, Donnavan (Carla) Crawford, of Waikoloa; brother, Abe (Mary) Crawford, of Waimanalo, Oahu; sisters, Mildred (Gene) Forsythe, of Hawaii Kai, Oahu, Ellen (Taki) Yamaguchi, of Aiea, Oahu, Winifred (Arthur) Gonsalves, of Kahala, Oahu; 15 grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.

Arrangements by Cremation Services of West Hawaii.


Luella Holt

Luella Bell Holt, 76, of Hilo and formerly of Ewa, Oahu, died Dec. 16 at home. Born in Honolulu, she was a homemaker.

Private services were held.

She is survived by son, Greg Pa, of Las Vegas; daughters, Terri (Benjamin) Castillo, of Hilo, Tammy (Mark) Carson and Lisa (Rich) DeSa, both of Mililani, Oahu, Kimberly (Sterling) Akamu, of Keaau, Kahea Holt, of Las Vegas; brother, Douglas Bell, of Wailuku, Maui; sister, Clarysse Crane, of Ewa Beach, Oahu; nine grandchildren;10 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews

Arrangements by Borthwick Hawaii Funeral Home.