Debbie U. Kakalia, master quilt-maker, dead at 87
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
"Auntie" Debbie U. Kakalia, who taught herself Hawaiian quilt-making and was considered a master of the art, died March 19. She was 87.
Advertiser library photo
Kakalia was born Deborah "Kepola" Umiamaka in Honolulu in 1915 and was the 14th of 15 children. She was a graduate of McKinley High School.
Debbie Kakalia's trademark was the eight-point star.
In the 1950s, Kakalia was an avid Western-style quilter and was determined to learn the traditional Hawaiian-style of quilting. But Kakalia, who worked as a presser in the laundry room at Le'ahi Hospital, became frustrated by the patronizing attitude of the quilting instructors she encountered.
Undeterred, Kakalia began to research Hawaiian quilts and developed her own style.
"She did it herself," said Kathy Gumpel, a former student of Kakalia's and now a volunteer at Nalani's Kapa Kuiki, a quilting class taught by Kakalia's granddaughter Nadine "Nalani" Goard.
"When (Kakalia) went to the class, everybody said, 'Here's this ignorant Hawaiian lady; she just worked in the laundry as a presser and she had no sophistication or education,'" Gumpel said. "The ladies who were teaching the quilting evidently offended her in some way and so she felt 'snobbed' and went out and showed them."
Kakalia soon became a master in the field and in 1975 she began teaching at the Bishop Museum. In 1976, she published "The Art of Hawaiian Quilting" and she began to travel to several countries to pass on her knowledge.
Each of Kakalia's designs bears her trademark, an eight-point star, which she called the "star of David" in honor of her second husband, David Kakalia.
In 2000, Kakalia retired and turned over her patterns and classes to Goard.
One of Kakalia's last projects was a bright pink-on-pink chrysanthemum crib blanket that will be presented to Japan's Princess Aiko next month. Members of the Honolulu Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation will deliver the quilt.
In addition to her quilting activities, Kakalia was a longtime member of Hale Ona Ali'i and the Ka'ahumanu Society.
Kakalia is survived by her children, Deborah "Tufa" Santos, Edward "Butch" Jr., and Patrick; stepchildren, Maxine Mills, Gordon Kakalia, Robert Kakalia and Lucille Rogers; sister, Lydia Pope; 24 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation 8:30 a.m. next Thursday at Borthwick Mortuary, services at 10:30 a.m.; burial 1:15 p.m. at Hawaiian Memorial Park.
