Janice Kualii's Obituary
Janice Kualii was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. She grew up in St. Louis Heights on Oahu and in Fat Lee Chop Sui, her father's restaurant on Kapahulu Avenue, where she learned hard work and the importance of family. Later, she started her administrative career at KPUA radio station as Mynah Birds' secretary. Mynah Bird acknowledged her daily on the Mynah Bird show as the Dragon Lady. After her employment with KPUA, Janice started working for the County of Hawaii at the Puna Police Station in administration and remained there until her retirement in 2010. Janice was known as the pillar of the Ohana Kualii luau catering services and for feeding thousands of people each year for twenty years at the Merrie Monarch Festival. She coordinated and directed the Ohana Kualii kitchen crew and taught family and friends the importance of bringing people together and helping others..... and how to make her delicious Haupia, which is famous here in Hilo. Her favorite pastimes were sewing, crocheting, and eventually buying her great-grandchildren lollypops. In 2011, Janice got the nickname "Nam" from her youngest grandson, Kahanu, who, at the age of two, could not pronounce "Grandma." Since then, the name stuck with her family and close friends. Nam is loved by her husband of 60 years (63 years together), Andrew Kealohaaina Kualii Jr.; daughter, Pualani Kahoohanohano; Son, James Kualii; daughter-in-law, Tania Kualii; son-in-law, Gary Kahoohanohano; grandchildren, Andrea Kualii Kahoohanohano, Malu Kahoohanohano, Kanoa Kualii, Kanoelani Kualii, Kahanu Kualii, great-grandchildren, Drew Kahoohanohano, Laiku Kahoohanohano, by her sisters, Joe Ikeda, Mui Soontrarom, Kakoo Tom, Mimi Taylor, and many more. The Ohana Kualii will hold a Celebration of Life on October 26, 2024; time and location to be announced. The Ohana Kualii would like to take this time to express our deepest appreciation for the overwhelming outpouring of Aloha.
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