Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 11, 1 November 2012 — OHA candidate Sharon Pomroy passes [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OHA candidate Sharon Pomroy passes

n Wailua on Oct. 17 after delivering remarks at a meet and greet for the Kaua'i Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee candidates, Hawaiian eultural practitioner Sharon Pomroy suffered a seizure and heart attack. "All the candidates run-

ning the OHA Kaua'i race eame to visit her in the hospital," recalled Onaona Maly, Pomroy's sister. One candidate who visited told Maly that Pomroy's remarks were full of "aloha and love. . . . She was passionate and it was amazing." Never regaining consciousness, Pomroy died Oct. 23 at the age of 63. Pomroy was the po'o (head) of Mano O Kalanipō (Kaua'i) for the statewide 'Aha Moku Council, a Native Hawaiian natural resource management group working on a comprehensive set of Native Hawaiian best management practices. The eouneil was integral in supporting House Bill 2806 that Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed into law in July, creating the 'Aha Moku Advisory Committee within the Department of Land and Natural Resources to advise the Land Board on traditional practices and knowledge. Pomroy was also a member of the 'Aha Kiole Advisory Com-

mittee, a predecessor body that crafted a report on best practices for managing the state's natural and cultural resources. Pomroy had lived on a 6-acre farm in Anahola, Kaua'i, since 1985. With a vast knowledge of native flora, Pomrov dedi-

cated a large portion of the farm to restoring the native forest of the area, and helped others, including Kanuikapono charter school, with plantings. Born Oct. 10, 1949, to Walter and Irmalee Pomroy of the Pukui 'ohana, Pomroy began learning eultural practices like lawai'a (fishing) at a very early age from her kūpuna. At the age of 10, her family moved to Waimānalo, where she learned about native plants, how to farm and the art of lei making. "She just loved her Hawaiian people and culture," elaborated Maly. "She worked full time on the farm. But she helped so many different projects and people, young and old. She was very passionate. I think as our father and father's father did, she passed away doing something she loved." Pomroy is survived by her brother, Paul, and sister, Onaona Maly. - Francine Murray

j HE HO'OMANA'O v > IN MEM0RIAM /

Pomroy