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.
Neill Bell
Neill Bell, 74, of Kailua-Kona, died May 20, 2020, in Kailua-Kona. Born Jan. 19, 1946, in Washington D.C., he was a college history teacher.
Services will be held at a later date.
He is survived by spouse, Elizabeth Miller; and brother David (Diane) Bell of Indian River, Florida.
Arrangements by Ballard Family Mortuary.
Francene Leong
Francene Kananimaeole Leong, 83, of Keaau and formerly of Kailua, Oahu, died May 13, 2020 at her residence. Born in Honolulu, she was an outreach eligibility worker for the Waimanalo Health Center.
Services will be held at a later date.
She is survived by daughters, Carrie (Rodney Jr.) Choy Foo, Lurene (Randy) Choy Foo, and Kristina (Bully) Kakuda; sons, Roland (JoAnn) Leong, Wayne Leong, and Shannon (Angie) Leong; sisters, Kathleen Hardy of Honolulu, Caroldeen Combs of Orange County, CA, and Raelene Combs of Honolulu; 22 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild.
Arrangements by Homelani Cremation Services.
Richard Rhodes
Richard “Dick” Charles Rhodes, 72, of Keaau, died April 11, 2020 at his home. Born in 1947, he worked for Milwaukee Operating Engineers and was a member of the Lake County and Cook County Operating Engineers Union Local 150 and member of softball teams: the Kupuna League Papaikou Seniors, the Punatics, and the Hui o Na Kolohe.
Services will be held at a later date.
He is survived by wife, Sandi Rhodes; sons, Scott Rhodes and David Rhodes; daughter, Shelley Rhodes; brother, Bob Rhodes of Hilo; sister Linda Brown of Wisconsin; and four grandchildren.
Arrangements by Homelani Cremation Services.
Cara-Joy Garmon
Cara-Joy “Keani” Keaniani Ku Garmon, 45, of Hilo, died March 31, 2020 at home. Born March 18, 1975, in Durham, North Carolina, she was a homemaker.
Services will be held at a later date.
She is survived by daughter, Kelis of Hilo; son, Mokuhou of Hilo; father, Gary (Theone) of Waimea; paternal mother, Sylvia of Ohio; sisters, Alohi of Waimea and Wena-Ula (Ryan) of Illinois; hanai sister, Amy Mills of Waimea; hanai brothers, Kory Kalei (Cherish) Mills of Arizona and Brandon Borges of Hilo; numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Kilburn Mills
Kilburn “Kibby” Whitney Mililani Mills, 65, died May 1, 2020. Born Dec. 12, 1954 in Honolulu, he was the retired owner and operator of a fencing business.
Services will be held at a later date.
He is survived by wife, Ronna Mills; daughter, Malie Fernandez; brother, Kimo (Linda) Mills; sister, Pua (Bill) Kaai; numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins.
Arrangements by Ballard Family Mortuary.
Trent Palacat Sr.
Trent Preston Palacat Sr., 61, of Kailua-Kona, died May 17, 2020 at his residence. Born March 7, 1959, in Kealakekua, he was a heavy equipment operator for Hawaiian Dredging, Isemoto Construction, West Hawaii Excavation and Goodfellow Brothers construction companies, a supervisor for Aloha Contract Services, a woodworker and artist.
Services will be held at a later date.
He is survived by companion, Tirza Otani; daughters, La Toya (Alfred) Carvalho and Anjelica (Kawika) Palacat; son, Trent (Kehauua) Preston Palacat Jr.; mother, Hazel Palacat, all of Kailua-Kona; brothers, Godfrey (Kapina) Palacat Sr. of Kailua-Kona, Norman (Maile) Palacat of Pahoa, Bobo Palacat of Kailua-Kona, Paul Palacat of Arizona; sisters, Carol (Norman) Keanaaina of Kailua-Kona, Toni (Bill) McPeek of Kohala, Raynee (Edward) foley of Florida, Florence Lerback of Kailua-Kona; five grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Stanley Viernes Sr.
Stanley “Stan” Dionicio Viernes, Sr., 78, of Waimea, died May 19, 2020, at his residence. Born Oct. 4, 1941 in Honolulu, he was a retired truck driver for Yamamoto Trucking Co., Nordic Trucking in Honolulu, owner operator of the former Aloha Shave Ice in Nanakuli and a U.S. Army veteran.
Condolences to the family may be sent to S. Paio, P.O. Box 6864, Kamuela, HI 96743.
He is survived by children, Stanley (Gloria) Viernes Jr. of Nanakuli, Shane Viernes, Suzie (Moses) Paio all of Waimea, Sean (Sheri) Viernes of Wahiawa, Oahu, Shannon (Virgi) Viernes of Nanakuli, Oahu; brother, Andrew (Genevieve) Viernes; hanai brother, Gary (Kathy) Jones; sisters, Beatrice Milstead, Helen Horde all of California, Evangeline Lono of Honolulu, Louisa Yamauchi of Hilo; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Arrangements by Cremation Services of West Hawaii.
Takao Kotaku
Takao Kotaku, 90, of Captain Cook, died May 10, 2020, at Rosalinda’s Care Home. The date was omitted in an obituary published Wednesday due to the mortuary.
