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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Retired judge Cyril S. Kanemitsu, 80

Advertiser Staff

HILO, Hawai'i — Cyril S. Kanemitsu, a World War II veteran and retired Big Island District Court judge, died Thursday at his Hilo home. He was 80.

Kanemitsu
He was a member of the Army's Military Intelligence Service during the war, and served as a District Court judge in Hilo and Kona for 12 years. He was first appointed to the bench in 1980 and was reappointed in 1986. He retired in 1992.

Kanemitsu was born Dec. 3, 1924, in Hilo. He was a 1948 graduate of the University of Hawai'i and earned his law degree in 1953 from Boston University. He started his legal career with the Hawai'i County Attorney's Office, serving as deputy county attorney until he resigned in 1963 to enter private practice. From 1963 to 1964 he was associated with the law firm Doi, Kimura and Kanemitsu, which later became Doi and Kanemitsu. In 1968 he became senior partner in the firm of Kanemitsu and Cook, and went into practice by himself in 1972.

He was a past president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, a legal adviser to the United Sugar Cane Planters Association, and a member of the Hilo Interpreters Veterans Club, Kiwanis, the Hawai'i Sugar Planters Association, the Waiakea Pirates, and several golf clubs.

Friends may call at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Dodo Mortuary Chapel in Hilo, with a service at 4 p.m. A graveside urn committal will be at 9 a.m. Monday at Hawai'i Veterans Cemetery No. 2 in Hilo. The family requests casual attire and no flowers.

Kanemitsu is survived by his wife, Marge; sons Ben of Ho-nolulu, Robert and David, both of Hilo, Britt Murakami of Georgia and Ross Murakami of Honolulu; daughter Anne Fujioka of Ho-nolulu; a brother, Daniel of Ho-nolulu; eight grandchildren, and his caregiver, Estela Ellazar of Kea'au, Hawai'i.