Obituaries for December 23

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Raviland “Kaui” Ai, 76, of Wahiawa, Oahu, died Dec. 11 at Wahiawa General Hospital. Born in Hilo, he was a private security guard. Private services. Survived by wife, Joy Ai of Wahiawa; brothers, Rudy (Drue) Ai of Kailua-Kona and Vernon (Sandra) Ai of Hilo; sisters, Myra “Aileen” Peters and Violet “Aniani” Kalai of Hilo; cousins, nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Raviland “Kaui” Ai, 76, of Wahiawa, Oahu, died Dec. 11 at Wahiawa General Hospital. Born in Hilo, he was a private security guard. Private services. Survived by wife, Joy Ai of Wahiawa; brothers, Rudy (Drue) Ai of Kailua-Kona and Vernon (Sandra) Ai of Hilo; sisters, Myra “Aileen” Peters and Violet “Aniani” Kalai of Hilo; cousins, nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Benjamin “Ben” Hiroshi Kawakami Sr., 69, of Mountain View died Dec. 14 at Hilo Medical Center. Born in Hilo, he was the retired owner of B. Kawakami Painting, an avid hunter and member of Trinity Community Church in Hilo. Visitation 9-11 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Community Church. Funeral service at 11 a.m. Burial to follow at Alae Cemetery. Casual attire. Survived by wife, Gloria “Gloreen” Kawakami of Mountain View; sons, Thomas “Tom” Kawakami of Seattle, Benjamin “Ben” (Heidi) Kawakami Jr. of Kurtistown, Dion (Jeanette “J’netti”) Kawakami of Mountain View and Bentley (Jodi) Kawakami of Hilo; sister, Annabelle (Ernest) Okazaki and Nancy Sato of Honolulu; six grandchildren; aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Samuel “Sonny” Yutaka Kimura, 85, of Waimea died Dec. 8 at home. Born in Waimea, he was retired operations coordinator and purchasing agent for Parker Ranch, former Scout Master for Boy Scouts Troop 27, U.S. Army World War II veteran and member of St. James Episcopal Church in Waimea, Waimea Lions Club and American Japanese Civic Association. Visitation 8:30-9:45 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 29 at Davies Chapel at Hawaii Preparatory Academy campus in Waimea. Lions Club service at 9:45 a.m. Memorial service at 10 a.m. Casual attire. Survived by daughters, Elsa (Michael Camp) Kimura, Natlee (Stanley) Oshiro and Teri (Quintin) Chong of Waimea, Faye (Mike) Deal of California; brothers, Thomas (Setsuko) Kimura of Kohala and Charlie (Michie) Kimura of Waimea; seven grandchildren; aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Suemi “Sue” Yamauchi, 94, of Hilo died Dec. 9 at Hilo Medical Center. Born in Papaikou, she was a retired baker for the former S.H. Kress Store in Hilo, a Job Corps cook, owner of Sue’s Place restaurant and member of Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin and Fujinkai. Services held. No koden (monetary gifts). Survived by daughters, May F. Takushi of Hilo and Joyce J. (Joseph) Okuna of Hilo; sisters, Michiko Kunimoto of Paukaa and Natsu Shimada of San Jose; sister-in-law, Kimie Yamashita of Honolulu; five grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren; nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Rodney Burl Yarberry, 92, of Hilo died Dec. 14 at Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home. Born in Colorado, he was retired state superintendant of public schools in Hawaii, boys’ principal at Kamehameha Schools, director of Hawaii Vocational School (now University of Hawaii at Hilo), commissioner of education for the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and a U.S. Marine Corps World War II veteran. Survived by sons, Duston (Susan) Yarberry of California, Christopher (Pamela) Yarberry of Tennessee and Matthew (Shola Ricco) Yarberry of Orchidland; daughters, Sara J. Yarberry of Keaau and Megan Yarberry of Hilo; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Borthwick Hawaii Funeral Home.