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.
Philip Palencia
Philip Palencia, 87, of Keaau, died Jan. 12, 2018. He was born Nov. 7, 1930, in South Kona, was raised in Maunawili, Oahu, and retired in Keaau. He was an operations manager for a trucking company.
Celebration of life to be held Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, at Ballard Family Moanalua Mortuary, 1150 Kikowaena St., Honolulu, from 5-9 p.m.
Survived by his wife Carol; sister Dolores Lovell; sons Glenn Palencia, Philip Palencia Jr., Karl Kuhau-Liftee, Kelena Palencia and Kelii Palencia; daughters Sharon Palencia, Jackie Choy and Phyllis Sato; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nephews and nieces.
Arrangements by Ballard Family Mortuary-Hilo.
Lala Epenesa
Lala Epenesa Jr., 50, of Honokaa, died Jan. 4 at Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu. Born Feb. 10, 1967 in Honokaa, he was a supervisor for the County of Hawaii Park Maintenance Department. He was a member of the Hamakua Lions Club, and a football, baseball and softball coach for several boys and girls teams. Lala was also an avid Denver Broncos Fan!
Services will be held Feb. 3 at 11 a.m. at the residence of Natalie Epenesa on Kalehua Road in Ahualoa, Honokaa. Luncheon to follow. Look for green and gold directional arrows. Family request casual attire to be worn. Leis welcome.
Lala is survived by Natalie Epenesa; son Sione Epenesa of Honokaa; daughters Amber Siu-Leiataua of Waimea and Tehani Epenesa of Honokaa; brothers; Presely (Christine) Epenesa of Kona and Nathan Epenesa of Waimea; sisters Luisa (Diamond) Beamer-Epenesa and Perenise (Lionel) Valdez, both of Waimea, and Noella (Darryl) Pagud of Kohala; and numerous uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Gerald Sullivan Jr.
Gerald T. Sullivan Jr., 56 of Hilo died Jan. 5, 2018. He was born in Monterey, California on June 5, 1962 and was raised in Kailua, Oahu. He graduated from St. Louis High School and Kapiolani Community College. He worked as an X-ray technician at Hilo Medical Center for 19 years.
A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018 at noon at Reed’s Bay followed by a potluck fellowship.
Gerald is preceded in death by his parents, Cmdr. and Mrs. Gerald T. Sullivan and his brother Scott Sullivan. He is survived by his sisters Jaclyn Frederick, Candace Sullivan Barbara Sullivan, Kristin Paulo, Carol Pierce, 13 nieces and nephews, 16 great-nieces and nephews, and numerous cousins.
Arrangements by Ballard Family Mortuary-Hilo.
William Moss Vannatta
William Moss Vannatta, 91, of Hilo, HI died Jan. 21, 2018, at his home on Reed’s Island. Born in 1926 in Kapaau, he was a legend, a rancher, and the general manager at Grayline Hawaii.
Private services will be held at a later date.
He is survived by wife, Sharon DeMello Vannatta; two sons, Bruce and Gary; three daughters, Billie, Karron, and Lynn; two sisters, Iini and Sheila; and numerous grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Arrangements by Homelani Cremation Services.
Wilmer Yangson
Wilmer “Sonny” Yangson, 76, of Kapaau, Hawaii, died Jan. 13, 2018 at his residence. Born in north Kohala on March 23, 1941, he was a boiler room operator for the former Kohala Sugar Company. He was a laborer for BioGenics Seeds, a rigger for Hawaiian Dredging Company, a labor foreman for Goodfellow Brothers, Inc., and Blasting Technology.
Visitation will be held at 9 a.m. June 2, 2018, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Hawi; Mass at 10 a.m. The family requests casual attire.
He is survived by his daughter, Pamela (Vince) Marquez of Kohala; sons, Bully Cannon of Honolulu, Kahau (Karen) Yangson of Lynn Haven, FL, and Toots (Raenette) Yangson of Anchorage, Alaska; brother, Albert (Debbie) Yangson of Kohala; sisters, Pua (Peyton) Akamu, and Kahala (Stephen) Acob; brother-in-law, George Pang, all of Kohala; 13 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; 7 great-great grandchildren; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary Kona.