Myra loves receiving our FACF newsletter, especially when there is something about the Class of ’41. Violet Kagawa (FACF’s Correspnonding Secretary) is her favorite classmate who keeps the few among them connected and arranges gatherings whenever any classmate comes to Hawaii. A few other classmates who help with the gatherings include Allen and Martha Chun, Harriet Muramoto and Ruth Yamagata. Myra lives in Clovis, New Mexico.

Kuulei is another ’41 classmate who enjoys reading the “FACF News.” She loved her years at Farrington and hopes to return to Hawaii at least once more before she gets “too makule.”



This “Old Lady” is very active. She shares her heritage at the Lawrence Senior Center. She even entered the Ms. New Jersey Senior America Pageant which she did not win but was told by one of the judges that she had the most applause. She made her own gown and outfit for the talent portion. She danced the hula to “Hanalei Moon” with a standing ovation. She really enjoyed herself and felt like a winner just to be able to enter the contest at her age.

In 1944, Hazel was awarded a scholarship to the University of Hawaii and in her junior year, she was awarded a summer fellowship sponsored by the Danford Foundation in St. Louis. After graduation, she became a research assistant at Michigan State where she also met her husband. Hazel obtained her master’s degree and later was appointed to the faculty as a research scientist in nutrition.



After moving to California, she continued her teaching career. She is blessed with twin boys. Her husband passed away on Christmas Day in 1999.



Hazel returned to Hawaii in 2002. Now, much of her time has been devoted to volunteering and working with seniors.

Who is an expert on salmon fishing, a publisher/editor  (A Plus Publishing) and author? Yes, no other than Hazel Arii Ho. She authored a book called The Salmon Fishing in 2004 and continued to write a newly released book entitled One Cup Rice. This book is a collection of life stories from childhood delights to senior dilemmas. It is a “feel good” book.



The love of fishing has been her life long adventure. Retirement years have given her an opportunity to fish in several areas of Alaska. She received many trophy awards for her skill in catching salmon. But lately she has been busy catching people at the book signing of her One Cup Rice at the Borders locations at Waikele Center, Ward Centre, Windward Mall, and Aiea Pearlridge Center and at our last annual FACF meeting in February.

Phillip reminisced about the time he attended Farrington High and how much he was positively affected by Max Ford, FHS band master. He said that Mr. Ford taught him a lifelong love for music…not only marching but everything from jazz to classics. He still has this love, 50 years later. He wrote: “Just the other month I heard and saw a film of the Metropolitan Opera and heard excerpts from Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck (the original). I remember this from my FHS days when we played it in the Kalakaua gym because Farrington didn’t have an auditorium yet!”



Phillip and some other guys got together and formed the “Astaires,” a dance band combo that played at many high school dances. Many of the band members later became professional musicians in military bands and in the Royal Hawaiian Band.

After completing post-graduate studies during the summer of 1962 to obtain a diploma and having no plans for his future, an older sibling secured Guy a job as a janitor in the sheet metal department of Air Engineering Company, Inc. From this humble beginning, he was able to work in the sheet metal industry in various capacities for 42 years, the last twenty as the training coordinator for the Hawaii Joint Apprenticeship Committee for the Sheet Metal Industry.



During his tenure as training coordinator, Guy attended night classes at Honolulu Community College and the University of Hawaii and earned an Associate in Science in Applied Trades in 1991, a Bachelor of Secondary Education with Distinction that same year and a Master of Secondary Education in 1998. This midlife scholastic activity allowed him to earn the credentials necessary to secure a faculty position at Honolulu Community College where he has spent the past 3-1/2 years following his retirement from the sheet metal industry.



Besides serving as a director for the FACF, he also serves as the executive director for the Hawaii Association for Career and Technical Education and secretary for the Hawaii Technology Education Association. He is a strong advocate for vocational education which he believes benefits the 75 percent of our adult population who do not have a four-year college degree. He credits woodshop at Dole Intermediate School under the tutelage of Bob Takasaki for his successful transition from school into the construction industry.



On March 5, 2008 he and his wife Barbara will celebrate their 43rd wedding anniversary with their three children Scott, Ty, Catherine Lei and one grandchild.



He gives credit to Ms. Minnie Liu, his high school English teacher, who never gave up on him and his many shortcomings. Her encouraging words paid off.

Working odd jobs as a janitor, busboy, electrical draftsman, bartender, and hotel front desk clerk and serving in Vietnam, allowed Nelson to earn an engineering degree in architecture, but he found his calling in insurance sales instead.



He entered the life insurance business in 1971 and earned several national sales awards and professional industry designations — LUTC, CLU, ChFC, and ChFEBC.



In 1981, Nelson moved to Kauai to open a life insurance agency “Planning Concepts” specializing in retirement income planning for retirees and presenting educational federal employee benefits seminars for pre-retirees.



His past community organization activities included being the president of Kalihi Jaycees, Kappa Rotary Club and the Kauai Shriners Club. He also served on several committees of the Episcopal Church and was elected to the Kauai County council.



Nelson and his wife, Vikki, have been married for 35 years. They are blessed with three grown, college, married daughters and four grandchildren.