A testament to Shuichi "Shu" Miyasaki's career in law is that each of his four children became attorneys.

"My dad never suggested to any of us that we become attorneys," Joy Miyasaki said. "I think it was what we saw every day: a very enthusiastic person who enjoyed what he was doing."

Shuichi Miyasaki, of St. Louis Heights, died July 5 at Kuakini Medical Center of complications from viral pneumonia, a month before his 80th birthday.

Joy, Miles and Ann Miyasaki are attorneys in the Honolulu law firm founded by their father in 1991, while their sister, Jan Miyasaki, teaches Asian-American studies at the University of Wisconsin and uses her knowledge of law in her social service work.

"He inspired us to be lawyers just by watching him," Miles Miyasaki said.

Shu Miyasaki was a native of Pa'auilo on the Big Island and the youngest of nine children born to Torakichi and Teyo Miyasaki, proprietors of T. Miyasaki Store.

He earned a degree in civil engineering from the University of Hawai'i.

After serving in the Army during the Korean War, he attended the University of Minnesota law school.

He received a master of law degree in 1959 from Georgetown University law school, where he was tops in his class in estate planning and taxation courses. He later specialized in those areas.

Miyasaki returned to Hawai'i in 1959. He worked as a state Senate attorney and helped write a bill reorganizing the government to make it conform with the new state constitution.

During the 1967-1970 legislative sessions, Miyasaki was chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He was a partner in the law firm Okumura Takushi Funaki & Wee from 1961 to 1990, and started his own practice in 1991.

Miyasaki ran in six Honolulu Marathons and two Maui Marathons, practiced calligraphy and, most recently, had taken up tai chi and 'ukulele playing with the Happy Strummers.

He was a past president of Mo'ilii'li Hongwanji Mission and the Rotary Club of Waikiki.

In addition to his children, Miyasaki is survived by wife, Pearl; sisters Florence Miyasaki and Fusayo Matsuyama; and two grandchildren.

His funeral is July 27 at 2 p.m. at Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin, 1727 Pali Highway. Visitation is from 1 p.m. Inurnment is July 28 at 10:30 a.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl.