Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 2, 1 February 2002 — Myron "Pinky" Thompson, visionary leader, passes [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Myron "Pinky" Thompson, visionary leader, passes

By Manu Boyd He eame into this world 77 years ago on the quadrennially auspicious Feb, 29, and returned to Ke Akua and his ancestors on Christmas Day 2001, These were the bookends of the life of Myron Bennett "Pihky" Thompson, a Hawaiian leader described as a soft-spoken, remarkable visionary, Thompson's upbringing guided him toward a career in social work, His illustrious career includes such positions as executive director of the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center (QLCC) and Bishop Estate trustee, a post he held for 20 years, Organizations to his credit include Alu Like īne,, Papa Ola Lōkahi and the Polynesian Voyaging Society, He was also a pillar of the Hui Nalu Canoe Club, At services at Kamehameha Schools Jan, 3, Thompson was eulogized as an insightful leader and a great man, The nearly 1 ,000 in attendance included family, friends, beneficiaries from the many organizations he supported, community leaders and Hawaiian societies and civic clubs, Sen, Daniel īnouye described Thompson as a friend and colleague, Hardy Spoehr, executive director of Papa Ola Lōkahi, used Thompson's favorite bass instruments as a metaphor, saying that if

things weren't going quite right, he'd "tune up" the situation, Son Myron described his father as a "great man," Kamehameha faculty, students and alumni performed an array of musical selections including a mele inoa (name song) composed for Thompson's retirement from Kamehameha by Randie Fong; songs from the South Pacific whose cultures Thompson helped bridge and reconnect with Hawai'i; and " Ku'u Pua i Paoakalani ," the classic by Queen Lili'uokalani, Tributes continued the following morning with ha'i'ōlelo (speeches), songs and oli at Maunalua Bay, Lilikalā Kame'eleihiwa's mele mo'okū'auhau recounted Thompson's lineage to Chief Paoa; Hawai'i island mō'īwahine Kaikilani and Keākealani; and British Captain Harbottle. Aboard family koa eanoe, "Maika'i Roa," Thompson's remains were paddled by his family to Paikō outside of Niu amidst a flotilla of canoes, hundreds of paddlers, and the Hawai'iloa voyaging eanoe and dozens of fishing boats watching from outside the break, With flowers and leis of fragrant maile, wife Laura, daughter Lita Blankenfeld, and sons Myron and Nāinoa released him into the oeean he so loved, ■

Nū Hoi )

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