From the 1950s to the 1970s, Reri Tava Jobe — a native of Tahiti — thrilled and entertained crowds with Tahitian dances at Waikiki Beach hotels, earning the respect of top Honolulu performers of her day.
On Sunday, some of them will join Kaua’i residents in reminiscing and helping 71-year-old Jobe in her time of need.
They are anticipated to attend a benefit spaghetti dinner at the Tahiti Nui Restaurant in Hanalei from 3 to 7 p.m. to help defray the costs of medical treatment for Jobe, who has terminal lung cancer.
Dick Swift, a Princeville man who is a friend of Jobe, said she worked with some of the best entertainers in Hawai’i, promoted Hawaiian culture and worked as a model and nurse.
She enriched many lives through her work, Swift said, but it is her community service efforts and her devotion to her family and friends that will also be remembered.
“She is a woman who always made others smile,” Swift said.
Jobe, who was born in Fakarava, Tahiti, said she is a descendent of Paao, a high kahuna (or minister) from Raiatea and Bora Bora who sailed to Hawai’i bringing the ali’i and kapu systems.
At age 7 in the 1930s, Jobe was adopted by a missionary couple who had visited Tahiti.
As an adult, Jobe returned to the Pacific Rim to be in closer contact with her Polynesian roots, Swift said.
Jobe came to Hawai’i in 1949 and learned how to perform Tahitian dances by watching and emulating other dancers in Waikiki.
She also made her own costume with feather shell leis and jewelry, which are now on display at the Kaua’i Museum.
In the 1950s, she worked as a solo dancer, taking her first job at the Waikiki Sands and later performing at the Queens Surf, the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Don the Beachcomber, some of the most popular hotels in Waikiki.
During a career that spanned about 20 years, Jobe worked beside legendary Hawai’i entertainers such as Don Ho, Gabby Pahinui and Eddie Kamae of the Sons of Hawai’i.
She taught Jobe about the customs and lifestyle of old Hawai’i, Swift said.
It was during the 1950s that she met Dr. Kenneth Emory, an archeologist with Bishop Museum, later participating in his diggings.
Jobe excelled in other undertakings, including work as a ramp model and work with the ” Hawai’i Five-0″ and “Magnum P.I.” television series and movies. In 1958, she appeared in Playboy magazine and later worked as a sales representative for Hawaiian Airlines and travel agencies, traveling throughout the Caribbean.
To get away from the hustle and bustle of O’ahu, Jobe periodically visited Kaua’i for rest and relaxation. In 1990, she moved to the north shore of Kaua’i.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
