Benjamin Dimaya Jr.

Our deepest sympathies go out to all of Ben and Carols family. Developing a relationship with your family has always been a joy to us even though we seldom communicate or see each other. Losing a parent makes dealing with life a lot harder but knowing that Bens’ physical ills are over and now he’s back with your Mom makes the loss easier to manage. We’re so sorry that we can’t make it to his memorial but know that our love and thoughts are with you today

My Brother Ben,

Thinking back and recalling my memories of you while growing up, was you coming home from work after a day in the canefields, with a hoe on your shoulder and your lunch pail tied on the end. After a while, I no longer recalled seeing you and when I asked about you, Ati said you had gone off and joined the Army and was never coming back. It didn’t make sense to a 5 year old then, but I soon realized as I got older, it was not all fun and games as we had to labor on the Farm, growing vegetables, caring for the dozens of pigs and chickens. To think that Fishing was supposed to be fun, but not in our family. We had to walk miles with a hefty pack, catch them and cleanyuk them, then walk the miles back. I realize then, I had to make a break as I knew and you did too, there had to be a better life than this.

So when I joined the Air Force, lo and behold, i got stationed at Glasgow, AFB in Montana. Mom told me that if I got the chance to go visit you in Seattle. So I got on the Great Northern and crossed miles and miles of flat wheat fields until I got to the Scenic Western Montana of Glacier National Park. It seems to take forever and no wonder they call that place the “Big Sky Country”. Of course I didn’t see any sky because it was November and it was 25 degrees below ZERO! Passed through Potato Country with a bat of an eyelash then Spokane. Whoa, I was getting close to seeing you after upteenth years ago! Passed some non descript TREES, lots of them and stopped at Wenatchee,later when you took me there in the spring where I got sick from eating more fruits than I had in the basket they gavethen MarysvilleWhere Hawaii get’s their Christmas Trees each year. Then finally Puget Sound and coming around the bend was the station. You picked me up in your brand new, yellow, 1964 Chevy Malibu SS Sports Sedan! Automatic, though, well we can’t have everything. Drove me through downtown Seattle, past the Space Needle, saw the Rail systemwished Hawaii had one as efficient and QUIET and drove on Empire Blvd and on to BEACON HILL, almost to the very top, where your neat home was. It was small, but warm and I remembered the huge cherry tree next to the garage, where I ate cherries when I came back in the spring until YEP, I got sick again!! The one thing I remebered vividly the very first morning I was there when I opened the back door to see how large the property was, that Mount Rainier was so imposing and beautiful. what a sight! I remembered going bowling, yeah you whooped on me, the parties and the beach cookouts on Puget Sound. I enjoyed my stays there and although Rita and Libby wasn’t there, you never showed or displayed negative emotions and I admired your quiet strength and resolve. That’s my Big, er older brother, as I was bigger than you, but this is what I should be emulating and chalking up to experience. As the saying goes, “how time flies, when we’re having fun”. Too soon, I was heading back home to be stationed at Hickam AFB.

Next thing you know Bobby was getting hitched to Lynne and I met Carol. The years have really fast forwarded as Carol, Mom, Aunty Tilda, Uncle Larry, Aunty Pansy, Uncle Teddy, Uncle Roeding, Aunty Bina, brother Andy and recently my father have passed on. Life is short when we have the love, respect and admirations of family, friends and peers and the opposite for those with inequities, trials and tribulations. If we believe in Jesus Christ and His Promise, it is neither long or short for the reality is, we will all meet again oneday, WHERE WE WILL ALL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.

Ben, God bless with Peace and Mercy on your soul.

Love, your youngest brother, Conrad

Wife Barbara, son Derec John and daughter Rachel

To Lisa, Tracy & the Hunsaker

Ohana family,

We were saddened to hear of your dad’s passing when Uncle Conrad called to inform us yesterday. May we express our heartfelt sympathy for your loss.

I was adopted and raised in a different household so I only have a few vague rememberances of when we were children. One of the things I do remember is spending a few days each summer in Na’alehu with your dad and the rest of the family. While the younger siblings played in the plantation camp where they lived, your dad being the eldest son and Aunty Nan the eldest daughter were always busy with chores. I recall your dad going into the brush to gather, then chopping and cooking Koa bean pods, papayas and squash to feed the pigs, washing out the pens and doing other farm chores. My big brother worked very, very hard.

He left home as soon as he was old enough to enlist in the Army, and I think that was a very liberating decision he made.

Although we saw each other only when he, Mom and Lisa would vacation in Hawaii, I enjoyed our time together. I think of him fondly.

Uncle Bob

Our prayers go to Uncle Ben and deepest sympathy to the family…Jason and Yogi Abrisce