Julia Nakaya
Julia Nakaya of Waimea, was born in Waimea, on Aug. 13, 1939. She passed away on Jan. 1, 2021, at KVMH in Waimea. She was the owner of J’s Dining & Catering.
Julia was preceded in death by her husband Kiyoshi Nakaya, parents Kim and Keahi Kapahu, siblings Ashford Kapahu, Tim Kim, Masa Kapahu, Albert Kapahu, Shima Kapahu, Edward Kapahu, Rebecca Niheu, Anna Keamoai and Mary Aviguetero.
Julia is survived by her companion Wayne Odo, sons Nelson Nakaya of Poulsbo, Washington, Kurt Nakaya of Waimea, Sheldon Nakaya (Kira Seabury) of Waimea, daughter Phyllis ‘Deko” Okada (Mark Edgar) of Kekaha, 11 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.
Due to COVID services will be held at a later date.
Arrangement assisted by Garden Island Mortuary.
Julia was one of a kind. She was just plane fantastic. I loved going to visit her and she was so funny, she kept giving me something to eating saying I’m to skinny…..
She told me so much about Kauai, and Niihau. She was also a hard person to get on the phone. I will probably never go back to Kauai, because she was the only person I wanted to visit with. It’s sad to hear Julia is gone, but she will be remembered and loved forever!
Julia was one of a kind. She was just plane fantastic. I loved going to visit her and she was so funny, she kept giving me something to eating saying I’m to skinny…..
She told me so much about Kauai, and Niihau. She was also a hard person to get on the phone. I will probably never go back to Kauai, because she was the only person I wanted to visit with. It’s sad to hear Julia is gone, but she will be remembered and loved forever!
I would like to express my deepest condolences from me and my wife Judy to the family and Ohana of Julia Nakaya. I first met Julia when I worked at the Kauai Test Facility on Kauai. She was always a bright spot in my day when she would come into my office cleaning up after all of us. She knew everyone on the island and the lack of her presence in Waimea will be felt for sure. J’s Place was an important gathering spot in Waimea for all of the locals and some of us who worked on the island. She provided work for young and old at her restaurant and supported many families by providing employment there. Her catering business for luau parties and other gatherings will be sorely missed. I repaired a poi grinder for a friend of hers once and she was most appreciative of my help. I also ran her copies from my Audel’s Plumbers and Steamfitters Guide describing blacksmithing tools for one of her relatives. An older partriarch of a local family had passed away and the younger siblings didn’t know what all of those tools were used for. I made copies of my book describing what each of those tools did and gave them to Julia who passed them on to the family. I also made a cast net lead weight mold for her. One of her customers needed a heavier than usual lead weight for his big cast net, so I made a nice aluminum mold to allow him to cast up the lead weights for his bigger than normal cast net. She was aware of the local people’s needs and did things to help them out as she could. It was my pleasure to have not only worked with her, but to know her as a true Hawaiian in every respect. Her Ohana will surely miss her and all that she did for the local community there in Waimea as well as all across Kauai. It will not be quite as much fun to go to Kauai now without being able to see her. We will truly miss this special lady. Hovey & Judy Corbin