Obituaries for Friday, November 6, 2020
Eddie Taniguchi Jr.
Eddie Taniguchi Jr.
Eddie Taniguchi Jr. passed away on Oct. 20, 2020, at the age of 81, in Waimea. He was born on Aug. 9, 193, in Waimea. He was a ranch hand with Gay & Robinson.
He was preceded in death by parents Maria and Eddie Taniguchi Sr., son George Taniguchi, and sisters Sarah “Tita” Borengasser and Marveline “Nani” Gardner.
He is survived by wife Eloise Taniguchi of Makaweli, sons Roger (Lisa) Taniguchi of Pakala, Eddie (Krissy) Taniguchi III of Hanama‘ulu, Manuel Taniguchi of Lihu‘e and Eric Morris Sr. of Kalaheo, daughter Jasmine (Charlie) Kahepu‘u of Kekaha, grandchildren Elo Taniguchi, Jessica “La,” Eric Jr., Trixy and Ciara Morris, Alannah Girod, Gabby, Nohili, CJ and Shania Kahepu‘u, Wyatt and Cody Taniguchi, Hoku Taniguchi, Britney Taniguchi, 38 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great-grandchild, brothers Roger (Jennifer) Taniguchi of Lihu‘e, Wayne (Raynette) Taniguchi of Kalaheo, brother-in-law Clarence Gardner, and numerous uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and cousins.
A walk-through/talk story will be held at Garden Island Mortuary on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 to 11 a.m., with a celebration of life from 11 a.m. to noon. The family requests cowboy or casual attire and welcomes flowers. Due to COVID-19, social distancing, facial masks and sanitizing of hands are required.
Garden Island Mortuary is assisting the family with arrangements.
Andrew Lubao Michels
Andrew Lubao Michels, 21, of Lihu“e, passed away on Oct. 24, 2020. He was born in Lihu‘e on Dec. 22, 1998, and was a Domino’s Pizza delivery driver.
He was preceded in death by maternal grandfather Sol Lubao, paternal grandparents and hanai grandmother Betty Anne Bernabe.
He is survived by parents Wolfgang Williams Michels Sr. and Marites Michels, hanai mom Lisa Marie Bernabe, brother Wolfgang Lubao Michels Jr., sister Analorie Michels, maternal grandmother Leticia Lubao, hanai grandfather Antonio Bernabe, numerous aunties, uncles, cousins and his loving pets.
A celebration of life is Saturday, Nov. 7, at Immaculate Conception Church, with visitation from 9:30 a.m. and Mass at 10 a.m. The family graciously requests that flowers be omitted.
Kaua‘i Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Steve Takashi Nishimura
Steve Takashi Nishimura passed away on Oct. 23, 2020, at the age of 71, at Regency at Puakea in Puhi. He was born on Oct. 5, 1949, in Lahaina, Maui. He was an Army and Air Force veteran.
He was preceded in death by father Koichi Nishimura, mother Gladys Fumiko Ueno Nishimura, and sister Edith Ven Hein.
He is survived by brother Duane (Joy) Nishimura of Wai‘anae, O‘ahu.
Services and burial will be held at Hanapepe Kaua‘i Veterans Cemetery on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m. The family suggests casual attire and requests that flowers be omitted.
Garden Island Mortuary is assisting the family with arrangements.
Esther Tamiko Yamamoto
Esther Tamiko Yamamoto passed away on Nov. 1, 2020, at the age of 92, in Lihu‘e. She was born on June 2, 1928, in Pu‘unene, Maui. She was a retired bank teller.
She is survived by husband Robert Yamamoto, sons James Yamamoto of Honolulu and Paul Yamamoto of Honolulu, grandchildren Ross, Jay, Keith, Erin and Reid Yamamoto, sisters Hiroko Hanes of Tacoma, Washington, Jean Hirashiki of Kane‘ohe, O‘ahu, Yuki Ogata of San Diego, Daisy Okamura of San Jose, California, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Due to COVID-19, services will be held at a later date.
Garden Island Mortuary is assisting the family with arrangements.
Yoshie Doi Smith
Yoshie Doi Smith, of Kekaha, was born in Waimea, on Aug. 29, 1921. She passed away on Oct. 29, 2020, at Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waimea. She was a nanny, seamstress and homemaker, and a member of Waimea High School’s Class of 1939.
She was preceded in death by husband Ambrose Smith, son Ray Smith, grandaughter Maude Nalani Shigematsu, parents Kazunobu and Hatsuyo Doi, and brothers Allan Nobuharu Doi and Tony Tsunenobu Doi.
She is survived by sons Danny David (Carol) Smith of Kekaha, Allan Ambrose (Linda) Smith of Lihu‘e, daughter Linda Naomi (Ron) Gut of Wasau, Wisconsin, 12 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, six great-great-grandchildren, brother Omar Nobuso (May) Doi of Richmond, California, sisters Mutsue (Shigemi, deceased) Nakamura of Manoa, O‘ahu, Nobue (Richard, deceased) Tanaka of Hawai‘i Kai, O‘ahu, sister-in-law Nancy Doi of Mililani, O‘ahu, and daughter-in-law Carolyn Smith of ‘Aina Haina, O‘ahu.
Inurnment will be at a later date. The family requests no koden (monetary offerings).
Garden Island Mortuary is assisting the family with arrangements.
Lois Lydgate Coleman
Lois Lydgate Coleman, of Ha‘ena, beloved wife, sister, grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, cousin and friend, passed away on Kaua‘i on Nov. 3, 2020. She was 91 years old.
As generations of the Lydgate Family before her, “Auntie Loey” was born Feb. 8, 1929, and raised on Kaua‘i. Lydgate Park in Wailua is named for her grandfather, the Rev. John Mortimer Lydgate.
At the age of 13, Lois, her mother and two younger sisters relocated to Seattle at the outbreak of WWII, but she moved back to her beloved Kaua‘i. She attended St. Nicholas High School in Seattle and the University of Washington, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority. She hosted a KTOH radio show in Lihu‘e and worked with the Kaua‘i Civil Air Patrol.
An intelligent businesswoman, she and her husband, Fred, owned and operated three restaurants over the years: Ed & Don’s, The Sea Shell and the original restaurant at Lihu‘e Airport, as well as the Lihu‘e Airport gift shop.
She sailed the Pacific with sailor Peggy Slater and visited the world from Australia to Japan, Canada to Africa. Her love of literature and paying it forward to the children of the North Shore led her to become librarian at Natural Bridges School in Kilauea for a time.
In later years, Lois and Fred would spend summers at their second home in Pt. Townsend, Washington, always returning to Kaua‘i. Well known for her love of nature, wildlife, flora and people, she was an avid photographer, and many of her note cards were in shops around the island.
Her love of traditional Hawaiian music, hula and playing the ‘ukulele with friends and family were particular joys of hers throughout her years. She was infectious with her welcome, joy, creativity, gladness and inspiration with friends all over the world who lived life to the fullest.
She was preceded in death by grandparents the Rev. John Mortimer and Helen Elwell Lydgate, parents John Mortimer II and Hallie Davis Lydgate, husband Fred Coleman, sister Margaret Lydgate Rinker and niece Deborah Rinker-Sims.
She is survived by sister Joan Mortimer Lydgate Burns, grandsons Fred Coleman III, Donald Coleman and William Scott Coleman, nieces Jennifer Rinker, Melody Rinker-Behrendt, Laurie Haack-Petroske and Jean Haack, nephew J. Stephen Haack, cousins Tony and Will Lydgate of Lydgate Farms, and dear friend and caregiver Cecilia Gomez.
A life celebration will be held at a future date where her ashes will be interred at Lihu‘e Cemetery in the Lydgate family plot and ashes spread at Ha‘ena.
Kaua‘i Memorial Garden & Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
