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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, June 21, 2002

Kimi Amemiya, 96, led family of achievers

By Kapono Dowson
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kimi Amemiya: Hard worker had "amazing mind"

When Kimi Mito Amemiya passed away June 4, the 96-year-old Mililani resident left behind a line of descendants that includes two former state attorneys general, a school vice principal, a former city budget director, the head of the state high school sports association and a genetic medical researcher.

Amemiya always stressed education and doing your best, said son Ronald, the state attorney general from 1974 to 1978. But it was her love, hard work and sacrifice that really made the difference, he said.

"She was self-taught and had an amazing mind," Ronald Amemiya said of his mother, who had only three or four years of formal schooling.

Born in Kawailoa, O'ahu, Aug. 19, 1905, near Hale'iwa, she was married to Keifuku Amemiya, who died in 1963. For many years, the family lived in the Kemo'o Camp while Keifuku and other family members worked for Dole Pineapple Co. from 1934 to 1950.

The 4-foot-8-inch woman was a hard worker who labored as a store clerk, coffee grower, a pineapple field worker, pastry chef and seamstress.

While at Kemo'o Camp, Ame-miya would make eight bentos on a kerosene stove each day for the men to take to work, her son said. She would often cook with a young child strapped to her back. On Sundays, she washed by hand all the family clothes, heavily soiled with red dirt, by boiling them over an outdoor fire. She even starched and ironed the clothes.

In addition to son Ronald, Amemiya is survived by her other sons Keiji and Clayton; daughters Grace Sakai, Kuniko Griffith, Hoshiko Miike and Brenda Henry; and 21 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.

Keiji Amemiya was a well-known pineapple growing expert during a 42-year career. Among the grandchildren, Corinne Watanabe served as attorney general and is now a state appeals judge; Jan Iwase is a vice principal with the Department of Education; Chris Amemiya is a genetics researcher and medical school professor; Roy Amemiya served as city budget director under Mayor Jeremy Harris; and Keith Amemiya is executive director of the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association.

A private service was held.