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. Any questions regarding obituaries should be directed to the mortuary or to obituaries@westhawaiitoday.com. Memorial advertisements with photos may be purchased through the newspaper advertising department.
Keith Hayama
Keith Toshio Hayama, 67, of Honaunau, died on Sept. 20 at Kona Community Hospital. Born in Kealakekua, he retired as the store director at KTA Super Stores – Keauhou and was a member of Kona Hongwanji Buddhist Temple and the Honaunau Kumiai. Visitation will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 11) at Kona Hongwanji Buddhist Temple at 81-6630 Hawaii Belt Rd., Kealakekua. Memorial Service at 4 p.m. Casual attire. Survived by, wife, Claire Hayama of Honaunau; son, Chris (Kelli Henmi) Hayama; daughter, Kimberly (Daniel) Ninomiya; mother, Shikimi Hayama of Honaunau; 2 grandchildren; aunts, niece, nephew and numerous cousins. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary, Inc.
Chastity Baucom
Chastity “Chas” Melissa Baucom, 47, of Hilo, died Sept. 25 at home. She was a Hawaii Tribune-Herald deliverywoman and worked at the Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council. Celebration of life to be held Saturday, Nov. 11 from noon – 6 p.m. at Hawaiian Shores Park. Casual attire. Online condolences at homelanimemorialpark.com. Survived by son Chansen (Charmaine) Baucom-Pila; daughter Cierra Baucom-Pila; parents Foster and Patricia Baucom; and sister Jodell (Trini) Ancheta Castillo. Arrangements by Homelani Memorial Park.
Russell Tam
Russell Kamali‘i Tam, 60, of Hilo, died at Home in Kahaluu. He was a former Isemoto Contracting Company employee and a member of the Operating Engineers Local Union. Celebration of life to be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 12 at Aunty Sally’s Luau Hale in Hilo. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. followed by a service and luau. Casual attire. Survived by wife Susan Tam of Hilo; sons Rustyn Nohea (Kamaile) Tam and Chace Tam, both of Hilo; daughter Kristen “Tootie” (Tim) Honda of Kailua-Kona; hanai son Casey Nagamine of Hilo; step-daughter Kiley (Brandon) Tanaka of Hilo; sister Janice (Koa) Kim of Kahaluu; brother Randall (Iris) Tam of Kahaluu; hanai brother James Salvani of Honolulu; mother-in-law Aileen Nagamine of Hilo; sisters-in-law Kaye and Nancy Nagamine of Hilo; grandchildren Ayston, Kiki, Marche, Colby, Briana, Kirra, Blake, Ayden, Asher and Atlas; and numerous nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Eugene Teixeira
Eugene “Gene” Ted Teixeira, Jr., 53, of Mountain View, died Sept. 29 at home. Born in Kahuku, he was a retired worker for Hawaiian Dredging, Volcano House and Nani Mau Gardens, and a member of the Hawaii Laborers’ Union. Visitation to be held from 9 – 10 a.m. Nov. 10 at Dodo Mortuary Chapel, with celebration of life to follow at 10 a.m. Casual attire. Survived by wife Charity Grace of Mountain View; children Diamond (Donovan Fox) Teixeira of Mountain View and Travis Teixeira of Mountain View; father Eugene “Pui” Teixeira, Sr., of Waianae; siblings Rhonda Teixeria of Waianae, Ramona (Bruce “Skip”) Barros of Sunset Beach, Kingsley (Melanie “Mel”) Teixeira of Waialua, Chanel (Josh) Teixeira of Waianae, Wiwiana (Robert Paaluhi) Teixeira of Waianae, Sonny (Jayla) Teixeira of Waianae and Elizabeth Teixeira of Waianae; father-in-law Abel Coloma; mother-in-law Priscilla Grace; three grandchildren and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Ruth Dick
Ruth Sachiko Dick, 87, of Waimea, died Aug. 4 at North Hawaii Community Hospital. Born in Kapa‘a, she was a retired counselor and school teacher at Honokaa High and Intermediate School. Friends may call to visitation from 9 – 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Kamuela, with memorial Mass to follow at 10 a.m. Survived by son Daniel Dick of Honolulu; daughters Mariko (Ryan) Foster of Honolulu and Michiko (Allyn) Spencer of Kamuela; and grandchildren Trinity, Abigail, Danielle, Anela, Samuel, Mason and Chole. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Ethel Yamamoto
Ethel Josephine Yamamoto, 91, of Kapaau, died Oct. 22 at home. Born in Kohala, she was a retired dietary manager at Kohala Hospital and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Kohala Ward. Visitation from 9 – 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Kohala Ward, memorial service at 11 a.m. and burial to follow at the Hawi County Cemetery. Casual attire. Survived by children William (Laura) Yamamoto of Kohala, Jerry (Jesse Ann) Yamamoto of Kohala, Joellyn Tadio of Hilo; daughter-in-law Lanette Yamamoto of Kohala; sisters Thelma (Owen) Pool of Arizona, Shirley Henderson of California; brothers-in-law Gary Depontes of Kailua-Kona, Manuel (June) Yamamoto of Kohala, Walter Davis of Kailua-Kona; sisters-in-law Hanako Yamamoto of Kohala, Rosemarie Yamamoto of Arizona; seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Margarita Damian
Margarita Damian, 73, of Hilo, died Oct. 14 at home. Born in Chuuk, in the Federated States of Micronesia, she was a homemaker and a member of the Pahoa Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Mass to be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 10 at the Pahoa Sacred Heart Catholic Church, with burial to be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Alae Cemetery in Hilo. Casual attire. All-night vigil from noon onward Nov. 10 at 16-1998 Silversword Court, Ainaloa. Survived by husband Thomas Edyn of Hilo; son Edson Edin of Hilo; daughters Neiso Refit of Pahoa, Chitorina Edyn, Marieta Haruo and Pona Edin, all of Hilo, Damiana (Jefferson) Rayphard and Mary (Christopher) Nereo, both of Guam; brothers Inasio Weneta of Honolulu, Sirisio (Nitia) Ruback and Nino (Singiora) Rewein, both of Oahu, Silverio (Kamai) Ruback and Justino (Sarafina) Ruback, both of Guam, Erminio (Ermana) Ruback and Kuku Ruback, both of Chuuk, FSM, Rosen Ruback and Nemesio Ruback, both of Hilo; sister Rosalya (Youtheo) Khan of Oahu; 18 grandchildren and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Daniel Kawaiaea
Daniel Kalalau Kawaiaea, Sr., 92, of Hilo, died Oct. 6 at home. Born in Honolulu, he was a retired plumber for the County of Hawaii Department of Parks and Recreation, a U.S. Army Korean War veteran and a recipient of the Purple Heart. Visitation to be held 9-9:45 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 12 at Dodo Mortuary Chapel, with procession at 9:45 a.m. and service at 10 a.m. Burial service at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 13 at Hawaii Veterans Cemetery #2 Pavilion. Casual attire. Survived by wife Loretta (Woo) Kawaiaea of Hilo; sons Henry Kawaiaea of Honolulu and Daniel (Anne) Kawaiaea, Jr., of North Kohala; daughters Cheryl (Nicholas Chris) Zimmer of Keaau, Daniel (Alfredo) Avelino of Hilo and Diane (William) Kawaiaea-Harris of Kurtistown; sister Minuet Ratledge of North Carolina; sister-in-law Angeline Kawaiaea of Wailuku; 13 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Walter Aipolani
Walter “Bruddah Waltah” Albert Carroll Aipolani, 68, of Hilo, died on Aug. 17 at home. Born in Honolulu, he was a very successful musician and entertainer. Services held. Survived by, wife, Thailiana Denise Aipolani of Hilo; daughter, Autumn Kahealani (Lee “Chopa”) Soares of Hilo; son, Aaron “Kaleo” Aipolani of Hilo; sister, Deedee Nielson of New Zealand; brothers, Elroy “Dukie” (Lauretta) Aipolani of Oregon and Patrick (Darnell Kelii) Aipolani of Wahiawa, Oahu; 11 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary, Inc.
Earl Veloria
Earl Esteban Veloria, 84, of Hawi, died Oct. 11 at home. Born in Ola‘a, he was a retired teacher and athletic director for Kohala Middle and High School and the first Native Hawaiian Temple President for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Services held. Messages of aloha to be sent to PO Box 463, Hawi, HI, 96719. Preceded in death by parents Esteban and Ruth Luka Hale Veloria and sisters Bertha Hunt and Eunice “Loha” Mulec. Survived by wife Audrey Veloria of Hawi; son Kaleo (Mindy) Veloria of Kamuela; daughter Rena (Maka) Loo of Hawi; hanai son Giorgio (Vittoria) Villa of Milan, Italy; brothers Richard, Jerry (Dolly), and Roy Veloria; sisters Beatrice “Nani” (Gary) Rothfus, Cynthia (Archie) Kekuawela, Audrey Correa and Hana Veloria; seven grandchildren, two hanai grandchildren, one great-grandchild, four hanai great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.