Indian authorities are probing a loss of separation incident that occurred on 8 June in Mumbai. Air India flight 657 was cleared to depart Mumbai’s Runway 27 while IndiGo flight 5053 was cleared to land at the same time. According to ADS-B data received from both aircraft, at their closest point the flights were 1,671 apart.

Editor’s note: Obituaries are published free of charge as a public service. Content is subject to editing for parity treatment and style continuity. Date of publication cannot be guaranteed. Any questions regarding obituaries should be directed to the mortuary or to obituaries@westhawaiitoday.com. Memorial advertisements with photos may be purchased through the newspaper advertising department.

Maryjane
(Paulino) Kalani

Maryjane (Paulino) Kalani, 82, of Hilo died May 28 at Legacy Hilo Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. Born in Hilo, she was a homemaker and member of New Hope – Hilo. Visitation 9-10 a.m. Friday, June 21, at Dodo Mortuary Chapel. Funeral service at 10 a.m. Burial to follow at Alae Cemetery. Casual attire; flowers welcome. Survived by children, Laura Pascubillo of Oahu, Marilyn (David) Nascimento of Pahoa, Barbara Fernandez of Modesto, Calif., and James (Frances) Barley of Hilo; sisters, Marilyn (Johnson) Kalawe of Pahoa and Frances Moreno of Hilo; stepsisters, Loraine Reddick of Hilo, Gladys Meyers of Pahoa and Madeline Silva of Keaau; 13 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews and cousins. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

William Ku‘ulei Townsend

William Ku‘ulei Townsend, 87, of Hilo died April 6 at home. Born in Honolulu, he was a steel and construction contractor, who started his career at Pacific Welding and Machine Works, a family business, and managed various projects renovating and repurposing buildings in Hawaii and California. In retirement, he enjoyed gardening and woodworking. Celebration of life 11 a.m. Saturday, June 22, at Onekahakaha Beach Park, Pavilions No. 2 and 3. Scattering of ashes 1 p.m. Sunday, June 23, at Keauhou Harbor in Kona. Survived by sons, George Puni (Barbara) Townsend, Timothy (Leonora) Walsh and Michael (Sue Swanson) Walsh; daughter, Sharon (Robert) Alapai; brother-in-law, Agenhart Ellis; sisters, Ululani (Hagi) Young, Marion (Billy) Makaimoku, Charlotte (Ted Lazaga) Townsend and Marcy (Richard) Marchan; 16 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren; cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Stanley Sumio Kaku

Stanley Sumio Kaku, 77, of Kealakekua died April 14 at Hospice of Kona’s Nakamaru Hale in Holualoa. Born in Kealakekua, he was a retired PBX switcher for the former Hawaiian Telephone Co. and U.S. Army veteran. Private services. No flowers or koden. Survived by wife, Julie Ann Kaku of Kealakekua; sisters, Jean Murata and Lenora (Bill) Kelley of Honolulu, Lilly Ushiroda of Kealakekua; nieces and nephews. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Josephine Ann Cox

Josephine Ann Cox, 77, of Hilo died May 30 at her daughter’s home in Pahoa. Born in Hilo, she was a retired cashier at Kilauea Military Camp in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Private services. Survived by companion, Delbert Cox of Hilo; son, Danny Cox of Hilo; daughter, Jessie (Ted) Flynn of Pahoa; brother, Felix (Fay) Dagoro of Keaau; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Sharyn Kaye Bemiller

Sharyn Kaye Bemiller, 72, of Naalehu died May 31 at home. Born in Salem, Ohio, she was a retired manager and hairdresser, former country music singer, artist and crafter. Celebration of her life at a later date in Ohio. Survived by husband, Russell Bemiller Jr. of Naalehu; daughters, Angela (Stan) Dodson of Oklahoma and Amanda (Kristopher) Lamb of Ohio; sister,
Kathy Bookman of Ohio; two grandsons. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Alison Taeko Yamaguchi

Alison Taeko Yamaguchi, 73, of Hilo, died May 4 at home. Born in Honolulu, she was a retired bed control coordinator for The Queen’s Medical Center and retired admitting supervisor for the former Hilo Medical Center. Private services held. Survived by sister, Kerry Yamaguchi of Hilo; an aunt, cousins. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Midori Hasegawa

Midori Hasegawa, age 102, of Hilo, Hawaii, passed away on March 31, 2024 in Hilo. She was born in Hilo, Hawaii on January 9, 1922 and was a part-owner of Hawaii Junk Ltd. and member of Hilo Nichiren Mission. Private services held. No flowers or koden (monetary gifts). Survived by son, Raymond (Geraldine) Hasegawa of Hilo; sister-in-law, Amy Aoyagi of Hilo; three granddaughters. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Susan Mary Kaneta

Susan Mary Kaneta, 80, of Kailua-Kona died May 30. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y, she was a retired English teacher for Konawaena High School and member of the ACBL National Bridge Club. Private family service at a later date. Preceded in death by husband, Milton H. Kaneta. Survived by nephew, Kevin (Tricia) McCambridge, of Rockaway, N.J.; niece, Amy (Mark) Stepp of Ridgewood, N.J.; stepdaughter, Laureen Ann Kaneta of Kihei, Maui; stepson, Milton H. “Buzzy” Kaneta Jr. of Phoenix. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Corinne C. Matsumoto

Corinne C. Matsumoto, 86, of Kailua-Kona died Feb. 9. Born in Minneapolis, she was a medical techician for the former Puna Sugar Co. and the “Tupperware Lady” on the Big Island. Private services. Preceded in death by husband, Eisho Matsumoto, and son, Alan Dwayne Matsumoto. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Stephany Ann
Lambert Wilson

Stephany Ann Lambert Wilson, 82, of Hilo died May 4 at Hale Anuenue Restorative Care Center. She was born in Oregon. No known family. Survivors are asked to call Dodo Mortuary at (808) 935-5751. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Victor Dean Young

Victor Dean Young, 66, of Discovery Harbour died May 26 in Hilo. Born in Embudo, N.M., he was a commercial locksmith. Services in New Mexico. Survived by his wife, Sandra Young of Discovery Harbour; mother, Carmen Young of New Mexico; brothers, Vernon Young of Florida and Vaughn Young of New Mexico; four nephews and three cousins. Arrangements by Dodo Mortuary.

Thomas “Rainbow Rastasan” Kilgore Page

Thomas “Rainbow Rastasan” Kilgore Page, 72, of Volcano died March 23 at home. Born in Monrovia, Calif., he was a vocalist, musician and songwriter whose song “Living in a Fantasy” he co-wrote and performed was a local hit and featured on the early 1990s television show “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Celebration of life noon-6 p.m. Sunday July 7, at Aunty Sally Kaleohano’s Lu‘au Hale in Hilo. Online condolences: homelanimemorialpark.com. Survived by caretaker, Elizabeth Kahoilua of Keaau; son, Mackie Lichtl of Mountain View; hanai son, Eric “Jon” Lichtl of Volcano; stepbrother, Charles (Lois) Mingus III of New York City; a grandson; two nephews, nieces. Arrangements by Homelani Memorial Park.

Stephen Wynn Bartholomew

Stephen Wynn Bartholomew, 76, of Keaau died June 9 at home. Born in Oakland, Calif., he was a retired civil engineer for Goodfellow Bros. No services. Survived by wife, Gillynda Bartholomew of Keaau; son, Joshua Bartholomew of Sacramento, Calif.; brothers, Anthony (Naomi) Bartholomew of Keaau, Nathan (Kathy) Bartholomew of Portland, Ore., and Jay (Cindy) Bartholomew of Hilo; half-brothers, Paul Derbyshire and Aaron Derbyshire of Keaau; stepbrother, William (Sharon) Gegg of Pleasant Hill, Calif.; stepsisters, Caroline Gegg of Walnut Creek, Calif., and Margot (Larry) Gegg-Mitchell of Chico, Calif.; nieces and nephews; grandchildren. Arrangements by Ballard Family Mortuary.

HONOLULU — Ki‘inaniokalani Kahoʻohanohano longed for a deeper connection to her Native Hawaiian ancestors and culture as she prepared to give birth to her first child at home on the north shore of Maui in 2003.

But generations of colonialist suppression had eroded many Hawaiian traditions, and it was hard to find information on how the islands’ Indigenous people honored pregnancy or childbirth. Nor could she find a Native Hawaiian midwife.

That experience led Kahoʻohanohano — now a mother of five — to become a Native Hawaiian midwife herself, a role in which she spent years helping to deliver as many as three babies a month, receiving them in a traditional cloth made of woven bark and uttering sacred, tremorous chants as she welcomed them into the world.

Her quest to preserve tradition also led her into a downtown Honolulu courtroom this week, where she and others are seeking to block a state law that they say endangers their ability to continue serving pregnant women who hope for such customary Native Hawaiian births.

“To be able to have our babies in the places and in the ways of our kupuna, our ancestors, is very vital,” she testified. “To me, the point of what we do is to be able to return birth home to these places.”

Lawmakers enacted a midwife licensure law in 2019, finding that the “improper practice of midwifery poses a significant risk of harm to the mother or newborn, and may result in death.” Violations are punishable by up to a year in jail, plus thousands of dollars in criminal and civil fines.

The measure requires anyone who provides “assessment, monitoring, and care” during pregnancy, labor, childbirth and during the postpartum period to be licensed. The women’s lawsuit says that would include a wide range of people, including midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, and even family and friends of the new mother.

Until last summer, the law provided an exception for “birth attendants,” which allowed Kahoʻohanohano to continue practicing Native Hawaiian birth customs. With that exception now expired, however, she and others face the licensing requirements — which, they say, include costly programs only available out of state or online that don’t align with Hawaiian culture and beliefs.

In 2022, the average cost of an accredited midwifery program was $6,200 to $6,900 a year, according to court documents filed by the state.

Attorneys for the state argued in a court filing that the law “undoubtedly serves a compelling interest in protecting pregnant persons from receiving ill-advice from untrained individuals.”

State Deputy Attorney General Isaac Ickes told Judge Shirley Kawamura that the law doesn’t outlaw Native Hawaiian midwifery or homebirths, but that requiring a license reduces the risks of harm or death.

The dispute is the latest in a long history of debate about how and whether Hawaii should regulate the practice of traditional healing arts that dates to well before the islands became the 50th state in 1959. Those arts were banished or severely restricted for much of the 20th century, but the Hawaiian Indigenous rights movement of the 1970s renewed interest in the customary ways.

Hawaii eventually adopted a system where councils versed in Native Hawaiian healing certify traditional practitioners, though those suing say their efforts to form such a council for midwifery have failed.

Practicing midwifery without a license, meanwhile, was banned until 1998 — when, lawmakers say, they inadvertently decriminalized it when they altered the regulation of nurse-midwives, something the 2019 law sought to remedy.

Among the nine plaintiffs are women who seek traditional births and argue that the new licensing requirement violates their right of privacy and reproductive autonomy under Hawaii’s Constitution. They are represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation.

“For pregnant people whose own family may no longer hold the knowledge of the ceremonial and sacred aspects of birth, a midwife trained in Native Hawaiian traditional and customary birthing practices can be an invaluable, culturally informed health care provider,” the lawsuit states.

When Kahoʻohanohano was unable to find a Native Hawaiian midwife to attend the birth of her first child, she turned instead to a Native American one, who was open to incorporating traditional Hawaiian aspects that Kahoʻohanohano gleaned from her elders.

She surrounded herself with Hawaiian cultural practitioners focusing on pule, or prayer, and lomilomi, a traditional massage with physical and spiritual elements. It all helped ease her three days of labor, she said. And then, “two pushes and pau” — done — the boy was born.

The births of her five children in various Maui communities, Kahoʻohanohano said, were her “greatest teachers” in herself becoming one of the very few midwives who know about Native Hawaiian birthing practices.

She is believed to be the first person in a century to give birth on her husband’s ancestral lands in Kahakuloa, a remote west Maui valley of mostly Native Hawaiians, where her daughter was born in 2015. The community is at least 40 minutes along winding roads to the island’s only hospital.

Kahoʻohanohano testified about helping low-risk pregnant women and identifying instances where she transferred someone to receive care at the hospital but said she’s never experienced any emergency situations.

Among the other plaintiffs are midwives she has helped train and women she has aided through birth. Makalani Franco-Francis testified that she learned about customary birth practices from Kahoʻohanohano, including how to receive a newborn in kapa, or traditional cloth, and cultural protocols for a placenta, including taking it to the ocean or burying it to connect a newborn to its ancestral lands.

The law has halted her education, Franco-Francis said. She testified that she’s not interested in resuming her midwifery education through out-of-state or online programs.

“It’s not in alignment with our cultural practices, and it’s also a financial obligation,” she said.

The judge heard testimony through the week. It’s not clear how soon a ruling might come.