• Mannette Bock • Naeko Pablo • Bryan Baptiste • Maurice Catbagan • Deysha Machado Mannette Bock Mannette L. Bock of Wailua Homesteads died May 17, 2008, at Wilcox Memorial Hospital at the age of 87. Born in Chicago and
• Mannette Bock
• Naeko Pablo
• Bryan Baptiste
• Maurice Catbagan
• Deysha Machado
Mannette Bock
Mannette L. Bock of Wailua Homesteads died May 17, 2008, at Wilcox Memorial Hospital at the age of 87. Born in Chicago and raised in Los Angeles, she was a Kaua‘i resident from 1978. She worked as a special effects airbrush artist at Disney Studios.
She is survived by sons David B. (Andrea) Anderson of Kapahi and Leslie C. Anderson of St. Johns, Virgin Islands; sister Phyllis Jacobson of Norway; and numerous nieces, nephews and grandchildren.
Services will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, at Lydgate Beach Park. There will be a scattering of her ashes at the Wailua River mouth on the Lydgate Park side. In lieu of flowers, friends may make donations to their favorite Kaua‘i charities in her remembrance.
Naeko Pablo
Naeko Oyakawa Pablo of Kaumakani died June 25, 2008, at Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital at the age of 80. Born April 25, 1928, in Waimea, she was a housewife.
She is survived by sons Eli (Sylvia) Pablo of ‘Ele‘ele, Ted (Janice) Pablo of Waipahu, O‘ahu, Arnold (Virginia) Pablo of Wailua and Royden (Carmela) Pablo of Lihu‘e; daughters Valerie (Dayne) Shigematsu of Simi Valley, Calif., Celia (Art) Etes of Chicago, Ill., Julene (Jonathan) Kaneakua of Kaumakani and Christine (Conrad) Ramos of Lihu‘e; 20 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Friends may visit with the family at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 5, at the Garden Island Mortuary Chapel; service at 10 a.m. Casual attire is suggested and the family requests that flowers be omitted.
Arrangements are being handled by Garden Island Mortuary Ltd.
Bryan Baptiste
A tireless champion for his beloved Kaua‘i and her people, Mayor Bryan James Baptiste passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, June 22.
Thousands of people on Kaua‘i and throughout the state mourn the loss of this compassionate leader and thoughtful visionary, who has been referred to as “the people’s Mayor.”
Mayor Baptiste was born Oct. 15, 1955, to parents Anthony C. Baptiste and Eva (Gomez) Baptiste of Kapa‘a.
Raised on Kaua‘i, he graduated from Kapa‘a High School and moved to O‘ahu to attend the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from UH-Manoa, Mayor Baptiste was employed by the Muscular Dystrophy Association as program director from 1978-1979.
He subsequently accepted a position on Kaua‘i as station and island manager with Tropical Rent-a-Car and National Car Rental, where he remained until 1985. From 1985-1994, he owned a small floral business, Petals and Passions, in Kapa‘a.
In 1994, Mayor Baptiste accepted a position as manager of the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall, where he launched the successful Ho‘olokahi program. A partnership of volunteerism among community, government and business, Ho‘olokahi garnered the support of more than 10,000 volunteers in its first two years to restore, enhance and rebuild community following the ravages of Hurricane ‘Iniki.
In 1996, Baptiste was elected to the Kaua’i County Council, where he served three terms. As a councilman, he earned much respect for his role in implementing visioning sessions between the council and the administration of then-Mayor Maryanne Kusaka.
The visioning initiative was a collaborative process between the administrative and legislative branches of government, which allowed open discussion and a unified effort toward achieving goals and objectives for the people of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau.
On Dec. 2, 2002, Baptiste took the oath of office to serve the people of Kaua‘i as mayor, and was re-elected in 2006 for a second term in office.
His efforts for the past five years have focused on strengthening Kaua‘i’s communities, creating a bright future for our children and giving each resident of Kaua‘i a voice in county government.
The centerpiece of his administration, the Ka Leo O Kaua‘i program, allowed each of Kaua‘i’s 15 communities to gather regularly to identify their own priorities and projects, and enlist the support of county government so that each community could reach a high level of cohesion and self-determination.
Known as an extremely passionate, loyal, caring, thoughtful and generous man with a warm sense of humor, Mayor Baptiste devoted his life to service for his family, friends and community.
His greatest desire was to see Kaua‘i return to the days of his youth, when neighbors were like family and interactions were always infused with aloha.
One of his newest initiatives, which was in progress at the time of his death, had this goal, written by the Mayor himself:
“To refocus our community on our blessings and the gift of living here on Kaua‘i to achieve a oneness — a unity of spirit, of action, and of Aloha. To embrace our differences and celebrate our similarities.”
Mayor Baptiste leaves behind his loving wife Annette (Asato); his four children, Brandon (26), Heather (23), Lauren (20) and Preston (15); and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 6, at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall. A celebration of his life will immediately follow in the convention hall auditorium. Aloha attire is suggested. Please note that flower delivery should be arranged for after 7 a.m. on Sunday, July 6.
Maurice Catbagan
Maurice Catbagan Sr. of Kapa‘a died June 29, 2008, at Garden Isle Healthcare Center at the age of 97. Born Sept. 27, 1910, in the Philippines, he was a carpenter.
He was preceded in death by wife Melchura Catbagan, daughters Delphina Haraguchi and Pacita Roldan, and his granddaughter Jennifer Cramer.
He is survived by sons Rudy (Val) Catbagan of Arizona and Maurice (Diane) Catbagan Jr. of Arizona; daughters Irene Williams of California and Leilani (Darryl) Cramer of Tennessee; 19 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Family and friends may visit with the family from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, at Borthwick Mortuary Chapel in Koloa; prayer services will be held at 7 p.m. Cremation to follow. Casual attire is suggested.
Borthwick Kauai Mortuary is handling the arrangements.
Deysha Machado
Deysha Kawaileia Machado died July 1, 2008, at Wilcox Memorial Hospital. She was born July 1, 2008.
She is survived by parents Delvin and Natasha Machado; grandparents Raynard and Esther Machado, and Philip and Marlene Eliana Jr.; great-grandparents Contrado and Helena Acierto, Lei Machado, Mauro Valvieja and Philip Eliana Sr.; and numerous aunties, uncles and cousins.
Family and friends may visit with the family from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, July 10, at Borthwick Mortuary Chapel in Koloa. Services will be at 11 a.m. Burial will take place at Lihue Cemetery. Casual attire is suggested.
Borthwick Kauai Mortuary is handling the arrangements.
