Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 15, Number 2, 1 February 1998 — A daughter's tribute [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A daughter's tribute

By Manono Beamer

Trustee Bilhe Beamer, who died on]an. 24 , is remembered as a tireless advocate for the Hawaiian people at OHA and the Department ofHau>aiian Home Lands, a proponent ofHau>aiian culture, a professional athlete , a federal and county official, a p rivate sector ccmsultant, and, as her daughter points out belou>, a lifelong educator. LOHA. BROTHER A(Milton Beamer III) and I would like to share with you what we believe is Mom's greatest legacy. Mom was an educator and a teacher. Her main purpose throughout her life was to educate and teach not only herself but others. She had an unquenchable thirst to leam that made her a perpetual student and the desire to share all she knew with whoever would listen and. at times. even with those who didn't want to listen! What did we leam ffom her? She taught us the importance of an education and gave us the finest. Education is the

foundation everyone should have, she said. So adamant was she about education that she onee commented to Aunty Bobbie (Barbara Femandez Mehe'ula) that everyone deserves an education, even a Hna!

She also taught us that exposure was an even greater form of education. She gave us the opportunity to travel, to see what was there in addition to our own Hawai'i. She taught us to respect others and their culture. Then, she taught us that, being fortunate enough to have had these opportunities, it was time to make our own choices. Even though most of our choices were not to

her liking, we had the freedom to make them. By far the most important lesson she taught us was a credo that she lived by: "To thine ownself be true." Her guidance and correspondence always included her "pearls of life," as I eall them, to help us grow into sincere, caring individuals who could look in the mirror eaeh day and like

the person we saw. On a slightly different note, we Uke to think we taught Mom a little something too. First, we tested her tolerance and she developed a very low threshold for anythino less than ner-

fection. Then, in her efforts to eom- . municate with us, she leamed to speak from an intellectual heart with a directness that occasionally offended but was neverwrong. It seemed that she leamed very well! All kidding aside, she had many accomplishments throughout her life, but none as fulfilling to her as her position as trustee. It was not a job to her, it was the pulse of her

life. She accepted the challenge with a passion and commitment that surpassed anything else she had done. She had no other purpose in mind but to educate, preserve and protect the Hawai'i she respected and loved. I know, regrettably, little Hawaiian, but one phrase sums it up in our opinion: Ua mau ke ea o ka' āina ika pono. The life of

the land is perpetuated in righteousness. She is the life, the spirit, the class of the land. She believed in this motto with her heart and did everything to ensure that the . "life of the land" and its people were perpetuated with integrity. Now it is time for her "students" to take the opportunities and knowledge she provided and make their choices. I know that she will be watching in peaee and contentment as her 1 students grow. Mom's earthly remains were committed to the sea at Kualoa yesterday moming (Jan. 28). To everyone who leamed from her, our warmest aloha. To all at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs who made this such a memorable day, mahalo nui loa. To Unele Ka'upena, Unele Edwin, Aunty Kina'u and Aunty Blossom for just being you and getting us through this, we love you. And to you, Mom, now that you are at rest, may you finally be at peaee. j Never ending love ffom your two most grateful students, Brother and Manono. Editor's Note: Before the memorial service heldfor Trustee Beamer, herfamily > requested that, in lieu offlowers, she be i remembered with contributions to the Billie Beamer EducationaI Fund established in her memory tofurther the education of young people of Hawaiian descent with no requirement ofblood quantum. Future contributions may beforwarded to the Billie Beamer Educational Fund, elo Billie Manono Beamer, 1031 Nu'uanu Ave. #1502, Honolulu,HI 96817. ■ !

"She had an unquenchable thirst to learn that made her a perpetual student and the desire to share all she knew with whoever would listen"

B I L L I E BEAMER 1927-1998