LIHU‘E — Jennie “Loke” Pereira, who lives on in the hearts of all she touched, passed away just four days after being honored as a Kaua‘i Museum “Living Treasure” and just five days after her 76th birthday on Aug. 14.
LIHU‘E — Jennie “Loke” Pereira, who lives on in the hearts of all she touched, passed away just four days after being honored as a Kaua‘i Museum “Living Treasure” and just five days after her 76th birthday on Aug. 14.
Judy Dalton of the Sierra Club’s Kaua‘i Group said her eyes welled with tears when she received the voicemail message seeking comment for this story.
“I had a very close relationship with Loke,” said Dalton, the nonprofit’s outings chair, who wrote something about Pereira for the Sierra Club statewide newsletter Malama I Ka Honua (Cherish the Earth).
Widower Charlie Pereira misses the love of his life terribly, but feels he is still with her in spirit.
“This thing is like a fresh wound, and it takes a while to heal,” he said Wednesday. “She’s left me, but I feel like she’s riding with me, she’s still around me. … That’s the way I’m trying to think.”
If she’s still around, he said, that means he will still be catching fish off Moloa‘a, as she was his soulmate, lifelong companion, love of his life and good-luck charm all rolled into one.
“Every time Aunty Loke spoke, you stopped and listened because you knew you were going to learn something,” said Julie Souza, a member of Ahahui Ka‘ahumanu Society with Pereira.
“When kupuna speak you have to keep your ears open, because things they knew and said weren’t written down,” Souza said.
“She had a lot of wisdom. She was always giving. She didn’t expect anything in return,” said Souza. “She was a very loving person, very interested in protecting our culture and our ‘aina.”
“Charlie and Loke had gotten dinner tickets for us for the presentation of the Living Treasures of Kaua‘i, and when Loke was up on stage she pointed out to all of us at the table,” Dalton said, adding that she was an “incredible” person and resource.
“Loke first teamed up with the Sierra Club in 2003 when she courageously led the movement for public access to Papa‘a Bay,” Dalton wrote for the Sierra Club newsletter. “As a Native Hawaiian she could arrange for her own entry, but she wanted everyone to have the right to get to the beach.
“In recognition of her commitment to working tirelessly for public access rights she was presented with Sierra Club’s first Pono Award in 2004,” Dalton wrote.
“While serving as an elected member of the Kaua‘i Group Sierra Club executive committee (2004-2006) she expanded her efforts to keeping an ancient Hawaiian trail open at Moloa‘a Bay,” Dalton wrote.
“Dedicated until the end of her life to public access and protecting coastlines, just two weeks before her passing Loke was eager to meet with Mayor (Bernard) Carvalho with a few members of the Kaua‘i Group executive committee,” Dalton wrote.
“She asked the mayor if he could prevent the county from building the bike path along Wailua Beach since she was adamantly opposed to it for both cultural and environmental reasons,” Dalton wrote.
On a personal note, Dalton said, “Loke was an exceptional environmentalist and a wonderful friend. When she served on the executive committee, everyone fell in love with her and they kept in close contact over the years.
“Loke and Charlie invited seven of her Sierra Club friends to attend the Living Treasures event. When she spoke from the podium she mentioned her ‘Sierra Club sisters and brother’ who were in attendance,” said Dalton. “Loke was indeed a treasure and will be greatly missed.”
Though he misses her terribly, Charlie Pereira of Moloa‘a smiles when he tells stories of their decades together. Sept. 16 would have marked their 54th wedding anniversary.
He said she was suffering from an infection associated with her diabetes even at the Living Treasures dinner, and the Monday after a decision was made to bring her to the hospital. He stayed by her side until she passed away Aug. 19 at Wilcox Memorial Hospital.
She was surrounded by family members, as well as the Rev. Kaleo Patterson, who will return from O‘ahu for Saturday’s funeral services.
She worked at Coco Palms, where as a waitress she waited on the late Elvis Presley, and her last job was at Kojima’s, Charlie Pereira said.
The two met at Schofield Barracks on O‘ahu, when she was driving for Charley’s Taxi and he was operating a U.S. Army shuttle bus.
Charlie Pereira said one of the things he misses most is serving his wife breakfast, sometimes crackers or cereal, or fruits that she loved. He was her weekday caretaker, and their daughters would give him respite on the weekends, he said.
He also misses her company, and her sage advice. She used to say, “Take one thing at a time; try to solve (only) one problem at a time,” Charlie Pereira said.
“She was very generous,” giving to the Disabled America Veterans, while also setting aside some funds for each of her grandchildren, he said.
Charlie Pereira got used to their weekly trips to Waipa, cleaning taro and making poi, which his wife would deliver to fellow senior citizens. “She delivered poi to every single one of them.”
But it was on the ocean where their magic was the strongest. “My wife was like my good-luck charm,” and he recalls more than one occasion telling his wife she needed to come fishing with him more often, because with her at his side he would always catch fish.
“Yeah, we pulled a lot of limu together, cleaned a lot of limu together, cleaned a lot of fish together, made poke.”
Larry Rivera of Wailua Homesteads, who worked at Coco Palms with both Loke and Charlie Pereira, remembered Loke Pereira as “a wonderful lady,” always at the Wednesday market selling flowers.
“She was always kind and nice to everybody, and we will always remember what a wonderful person she was,” said Rivera. “The last chance I had to sing to her before she passed away was ‘Beautiful Rainbow.’”
Souza, like Pereira a member of Ahahui Ka‘ahumanu Society, a civic club in Hawai‘i formed in 1864 to celebrate the life of Queen Ka‘ahumanu and to preserve the monarchy in Hawai‘i, said that whenever Pereira spoke at meetings or gatherings, all stopped to listen.
“Even with her bad diabetes, she certainly enjoyed life. We all loved her, and we will surely miss her,” said Souza. “A lot of people are going to miss her.”
She was preceded in death by her son Philomen, whom she will join at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, at Punchbowl on O‘ahu; sisters Kau‘i and Katherine, and brother Christian.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by daughters Cheryle (Victor) Punua and Gloria Rafael; grandchildren Keialohi, Kawehi (Russell) Beckett, Kaimana, Blake Rafael, Kanani (Kia‘aina) Velasco; great grandchildren Victoria and Kamakau Beckett, Kalahikiola and Kia‘aina Velasco; brother Castro Sonny (Irene) Lovell; sisters Diane O’Riley, Priscilla (Mike) Magallanes and Alvina Mills; numerous nieces, nephew, cousins and friends.
A celebration of her life is today at Ko‘olau Hui‘ia Protestant Church in Anahola. Visitation is from 9 to 11 a.m., with the service at 11 a.m. Inurnment will be on Sept. 11, at 1 p.m., at Punchbowl.
• Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com.
