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.
Peter Garlitos
Peter Devera Garlitos, 94, of Keaau, died June 6, 2019, at Hilo Medical Center. Born on Aug. 2, 1924, in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan, Philippines, he was a macadamia nut picker for a private macadamia nut farming company and he also was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hilo.
Friends may call from 8-10 a.m. July 1 at Dodo Mortuary Chapel for a 10 a.m. prayer service. Casual attire, flowers and lei are welcomed. Burial at noon at East Hawaii Veterans Cemetery No. 2.
He is survived by wife, Maria Garlitos of Keaau; sons, Rodolfo (Maria Carmella) Garlitos, Manuel (Ester) Garlitos, Ruben (Wennie) Garlitos and Roberto (Marites) of Keaau; 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary, Inc.
Plez Collins
Plez Michael Collins, 67, of Pahoa, died June 14, 2019, at the Life Care Center of Hilo. Born in Bend, Ore., he was a self-employed carpenter.
A celebration of life and scattering of his ashes was held at Milolii, South Kona.
He is survived by wife, Joyce Collins of Puna; sons, Weston H. (Maha) Collins of Kamuela and Plez O. Collins of Puna; daughter, Jessica (Steven) Hastey of Puna; mother, Edna Brown of Othello, Wash.; brothers, Kenneth Li Collins of Oregon and Larry Jo Collins of Arizona; sister, Suzi Cyr of Milolii; hanai sons, John Harman of Puna and Chad Allred of Kona; two grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews, friends and hanai family.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary, Inc. – Hilo.
Ellen Okinaka
Ellen Fumiko Okinaka, 79, of Hilo, died May 9, 2019 in Honolulu. Born Dec. 8, 1939, in Koloa, Kauai, she was retired from the State of Hawaii Department of Education as a third-grade teacher at Waiakeawaena Elementary School in Hilo and a member of the Hilo Missionary Church, Hui O Wahine Family and Community Education, Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA), and regular Mah Jong player at the Kamana Senior Center Classes.
Friends may call 2-3 p.m. June 29 at Dodo Mortuary Chapel in Hilo for a 3 p.m. memorial service. Casual attire is requested. No flowers.
She is survived by husband, Alan Okinaka of Hilo; sons, Jonathan (Mae Lin) Okinaka of Kenmore, Washington and Jeffrey (Kristin Mari) Okinaka of Kailua, Oahu; sisters, Grace Takabayashi of Omao, Kauai and Betty (Lawrence) Ing of Wailuku, Maui; three grandchildren; numerous uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces and cousins.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary, Inc. in Hilo.
Herbert Santana
Herbert Santana, 77, of Pahoa, died May 29, 2019, at Pohai Malama Care Center. Born on Sept. 23, 1941, in Hawaii, he was a CDL truck driver (retired) and a commercial truck driver for Pacific Waste. He was a veteran Army rifle marksman with three years honorable discharge.
Graveside was held June 26 at Veteran’s II, 110 Laimana St. in Hilo.
Herbert is survived by sons, Jeremiah Santana, Jonathan Santana, and Herbert Boy Santana; daughters, Nova Lee Du and Mona Lisa Santana; sister Alice Mercado.
Arrangements by Ballard Family Mortuary Hilo.
Barbara Hewlett
Barbara Jean Kaheuokawailani Hewlett, 84 of Keaau, died May 24, 2019, at Hilo Medical Center. Born on Dec. 30, 1934, in Honolulu, she was an office clerk at a Hawaiian craft store.
A celebration of life will be at a later date.
Barbara is survived by daughters, Helene P.H. (Rudy) Aguinaldo of Sacramento, Calif., Joanne M.L. (John) Scanlan of Pahoa, Laura Jean M. (Wes) Crisman of Lihue, Kauai; sons, Richard D. Crisman Jr. and Robert A. Crisman of Sacramento, Calif.; sisters, Dorothy Irvine of Ewa Beach, Oahu, Margaret Hewlett of Kalihi, Maui, Florence Hewlett of Kailua, Oahu; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Arrangements by Ballard Family Mortuary Hilo.
Jean Igawa
Jean Kikue Igawa died April 21, 2019, in Redondo Beach, Calif. She was a retired software engineer at Raytheon Corp.
Private services were held, family requests no koden or flowers. Online condolences: www.homelanimemorialpark.com
She is survived by four brothers, Melvin (Betty) Igawa of Las Vegas, James (Martha) Igawa of Keaau, Fred Igawa of Pearl City, and Wayne Igawa of Hilo; a sister, Ann Igawa of Torrence, Calif.; two sisters-in-law; and one brother-in-law.
Joyce Ferrington
Joyce Elizabeth Ferrington, 93, died June 4 2019, at Whitefish, Mont. Born March 7, 1926, in Detroit, Joyce moved to Kona to work at the Kona Hospital as an RN, continuing until the mid-’80s when she moved to the mainland.
Graveside services were held June 13 at Columbia Falls, Mont.
Joyce is survived by her husband, Alan Ferrington of Whitefish, Mont.; brother, James Helmer of Ventura, Calif.; son, Michael Ferrington of Kailua-Kona and Whitefish, Mont.
Nobuo Matsui
Nobuo “Mike” Matsui, 91, of Hilo, died May 28, 2019, at home. Born Sept. 19, 1927, in Kealakekua, he was a retired supervisor for Pacific Machinery, corporal in the U.S. Army and World War II veteran, postal clerk in the Marshall Islands, delivery person for the Honolulu Advertiser and a self-employed handyman.
Private services were held. Family requests no monetary gifts or flowers.
He is survived by son, Michael (Marcia) Matsui of Hilo; daughters, Diane (Erwine) Kubo and Kathleen (Craig) Yamamoto of Hilo; seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.
Rose Gusman
Rose Dias Gusman, 90, of Ewa Beach and formerly of Honokaa, died May 22, 2019, in Waipahu, Oahu. She was born in Haina, Honokaa and was a candy factory worker with the former Hawaiian Holiday Macadamia Nut and a member of the Our Lady of Lourdes Holy Name Society.
Visitation 9-9:30 a.m. June 29 at the Honokaa Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. A family remembrance program will begin at 9:30 a.m. and a Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at the Honokaa Catholic Church Cemetery. Casual attire; no flowers.
She is survived by sons, Ronald (Norma) Gusman, Sr. of California and Nicholas (Ellie) Gusman of Ohio; daughter, Linda (Craig) Nagamatsu of Ewa Beach; hanai son, Jericho Sombrio of Honolulu; hanai daughter, Raynette Lopez of Kona; 11 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.
Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary, Inc. – Hilo.
William Kanoa
William Kanoa, 82, of Lawton, Okla., and formerly of Laupahoehoe, died June 13, 2019, in Lawton, Okla. He was born in Kapoho and was a retired sergeant first class with the US Army.
Services held at the Fort Sill National Cemetery in Okla.
He is survived by wife, Dorothy J. Kanoa of Lawton, Okla.; daughters, Llena Kanoa of Lawton, Okla., Iolani Vasquez of Fort Worth, Texas and Jacki (Darrell) Barron of West Melbourne, Fla.; sons, Jayden Kanoa of Lawton, Okla., Paul Kanoa of Round Rock, Texas and Jim Vinson of Omaha, Neb.; brothers, Albert Kanoa, Lawrence Kanoa and Charles Kanoa; sisters, Florence Fukui, Jeanne Naces, Beatrice Dela Cruz, Mildred Yamanouchi, Carol Oshiro and Joyce Alfiler; several grandchildren, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Dodo Mortuary, Inc. is assisting with local arrangements.