Posted on: Sunday, July 14, 2002

Thursday services slated for Ralph Yempuku

Advertiser Staff

Services for promoter and World War II hero Ralph Tsuneto Yempuku will be held 6 p.m. Thursday at Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin. Additional parking will be available across the street at the Honpa Hongwanji Mission School.

Inurnment will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Diamond Head Memorial Park Cemetery. Family requests no flowers. Memorial donations may be sent to the University of Hawai'i Foundation for the VVV Scholarship Fund and Club 100.

Yempuku, 88, of Honolulu, died July 9, 2002. Born in Papa'ikou, Hawai'i, he brought professional sports and rock'n'roll acts to Hawai'i, created the Aloha Classic college basketball all-star games and helped to promote world champion boxers in the Islands. He is survived by sons, Roy and Earl; six grandchildren; and brothers, Toru Empuku and Paul Yempuku.