Former state Sen. Matt Matsunaga said four of her five children were present when his mother died in her sleep about 3:45 p.m..

Matsunaga said he will remember his mother most for her "selfless and giving nature.

"She devoted her life to supporting my dad in his political endeavors," Matsunaga said. "My father was a workaholic in his days in D.C. and my mother held the family together."

Matsunaga said he remembers his mother hauling him or his brother and sisters to after -school sports practices, music lessons and various events up and down the East Coast.

Holidays were a special time at the Matsunaga house in Washington, D.C., Matt Matsunaga said.

"If my mother or father found out someone was in town from Hawai'i and they really didn't have any place to go for the holidays, they would invite them to stay with us," Matsunaga said.

His mother was born Helene Tokunaga on Feb. 10, 1925. She attended McKinley High School and married Spark Matsunaga in 1948.

In addition to Matt, the youngest of five children, Helene Matsunaga is survived by daughters Karen Hardman of Maryland; Diane Segars of Mississippi; and Merle Matsunaga of New York.