More than 400 family, friends, colleagues and admirers turned out this morning to celebrate the life of Ah Quon McElrath, the social activist and former ILWU worker whose life-long crusade for social justice helped shape Hawai'i's social, political and economic landscape.

McElrath died Dec. 11 at the age of 92.

The crowd included representation from the various communities touched by McElrath's works, including union leaders, longshoremen, educators, artists, hospital administrators, social workers and students.

The gathering at the ILWU headquarters on Atkinson Drive followed a simple and appropriate dictate — "Don't mourn, organize" — and speakers shared both personal remembrances and urgent calls to take up McElrath's work.

"Her love for people informed her politics," said close friend Claire Shimabukuro, executive director for Meals on Wheels, "and her politics informed her love of people."

In a nod to McElrath's love of music, the celebration also included several musical performances, none more stirring than the one by McElrath's 91-year-old "kid brother" Ah Nee Leong, who sang an a cappella rendition of "The Impossible Dream."