Editor’s note: Obituaries are published free of charge as a public service. Content is subject to editing for parity treatment and style continuity. Date of publication cannot be guaranteed. Memorial advertisements may be purchased through the newspaper advertising department.
Delphine Parra
Delphine Barbara (Funn) Parra, 70 of Hilo, died April 22, 2019, at home. Born on Nov. 11, 1948, on Oahu, she was a deli clerk and bartender.
Private services held.
Delphine is survived by daughter, Darla (Greg) Requelman of Hilo; brothers, William (Nalani) Funn of Waimea, Michael (Zoe) James of Washington state; sister, Francine Leialoha of Keaau, Lisa Woller of Florida; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Arrangements by Ballard Family Mortuary Hilo.
Michael Booth
Michael Leroy Booth, 61, of Waimea, died April 30, 2019, at Kona Community Hospital. Born on April 2, 1958, in Great Bend, Kan., he was a drill rig roughneck.
He is survived by his son, Jason (Maria) Booth of Waimea; daughter, Natasha Booth of Enid, Okla., mother, Frances Booth and brothers, David Booth, Laban (Brenda) Booth, all of Liberal, Kan.; sisters, Carrie (Dennis) Booth and Jenny Bloomfield of Liberal, Kan., Patricia (Richard) Galbreath of Lebanon, Mo.; four grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary Kona.
Simon Joseph
Simon Joseph, 45, of Ocean View, died June 2, 2019, at Kona Community Hospital. Born Nov. 5, 1973, in Ujelang, Marshall Islands, he was a coffee farmer.
Graveside services and burial will be held at 4 p.m. June 22 at the Naalehu County Cemetery in Naalehu.
He is survived by his wife, Kiman Jieta; sons, Kun Mongkeya, Keleb Joseph, Joseph Joseph; daughters, Marysho Joseph, Karen Joseph, Sharon Joseph; mother, Marysho Joseph, all of Ocean View; brothers, Levi (Chiana) Mongkeya of Kailua-Kona, Lekiak Mongkeya of Arkansas, Komiso Mongkeya of Marshall Islands, Mark Mongekeya of Ocean View; sisters, Kieko (Elio) Mongkeya of Ocean View, Karmarina (Bunty) Mongkeya of Arkansas, Kathysho (Dave) Mongkeya, Kalynn (Felix)Mongkeya, Diana (Jeffrey) Mongkeya of Kailua-Kona; numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary Kona.
Evelyn Chong-Martin
Evelyn Haleakala Kuahiwi Nani ‘O Maui Chong-Martin, 82, of Ocean View, died June 6, 2019, at her residence. Born Dec. 30, 1936, in Waimea, she was a retired project outreach coordinator for Alu Like and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ka’u ward.
Private services.
She is survived by her husband, Merle Martin of Ocean View; daughters, Dawn Moana DeLeon of Ka’u and Laura Meilan Sharpe of Waimea; sons, Charles K. Sharpe of Ka’u, Gordon K. (Onaona Trask) Sharpe of Olaa, David K. Sharpe of Ka’u; sisters, Daisy Ikeuchi and Irene Kaneo of Honokaa, Winona Tanaka of Hilo and Roseline Ho of Papakolea, Oahu; 14 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary Kona.
Rangihekeiho Ruwhiu
Rangihekeiho Ruwhiu, aka Kahu, 80, died June 1, 2019, at Hilo Medical Center. Born in Wharekahika, Aotearoa, he was a retired lomi-lomi master and teacher, master carpenter, and lifelong cultural practitioner. He was a founding member of the Aloha Aina Life and Education Center, The Opu Alii Center for Huna Sciences, Mauna Kea Anaina Hou and the Native American Church of Hawaii, and served as a chief in the Royal Order of Kamehameha.
A celebration of life will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 19 at the Kamehameha Hall in Keaukaha.
He is survived by daughter, Moana Ruwhiu and son, Jon Ruwhiu, both of California; one nephew and other ohana from New Zealand.
Rex Shimizu
Rex Kazumi Shimizu, 70, of North Hollywood, Calif. died June 4, 2019, at the Hilo Medical Center. Born in Hilo, he retired from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health as a mental health services coordinator, a member of the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center, San Fernando Valley Meiji Ondo Group and the Aloha Golf Club of Southern California.
Visitation will be 9:30-11 a.m. June 24 at Dodo Mortuary Chapel in Hilo for an 11 a.m. memorial service. Casual attire.
He is survived by wife, Lorraine Shimizu of North Hollywood, Calif.; sons, Brian Shimizu of North Hollywood, Calif., and Darren Shimizu of North Hollywood, Calif.; mother, Toshie Shimizu of Keaau; brother, Keith (Leila) Shimizu of Kailua-Kona; sister, Lynn (Calvin) Koshiyama of Anchorage, Alaska; two sisters-in-law; uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary, Inc. in Hilo.
Gladys Nakamura
Gladys Morimoto Nakamura, 104, of Hilo, died on Sunday, May 5, 2019, at Hilo Medical Center. Born in Kekaha, Kauai, she married Shigeo Nakamura, before moving to Hilo, where she was the oldest member of Hilo Higashi Hongwanji Mission.
A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.
She is preceded in death by daughters, Joye Guay and Merry Black; and one grandson.
She is survived by son, Nolan; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary, Inc. – Hilo Branch.