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A hui hou

Maui lost some special members of the community

By Melissa Tanji 7 min read

In 2016, Maui County lost its first mayor and two journalism champions along with community leaders and overall good citizens.

Here is a look back at some of the influential Maui County residents who died in 2016.

Jesse Spencer

Sept. 12, 1930-Jan. 18, 2016

Spencer, 85, of Wailea was the former head of Spencer Homes, now known as Spencer Development. He and his family are famous for building affordable homes for Maui residents, especially in Waikapu, which is nicknamed "Spencer Homes" by locals.

He built several hundred homes in Kihei as well, including Keonekai Villages, Piilani Villages Phases 2 and 3 and Kenolio Estates. In Central Maui, the company built homes in Nanea at Kehalani, Waikapu Gardens and Waikapu Gardens Phase 2. Spencer worked until his death to try to put more affordable housing on Maui.

Mary 'Maizie' Cameron Sanford

April 27, 1930-Feb. 14, 2016

Sanford, 85, was the former owner and publisher of The Maui News and a beloved philanthropist.

She was publisher of The Maui News from 1986 to 1996, "at a time of extreme financial pressures," when newspapers began to lose circulation and ad revenue. But Sanford never lost sight of taking care of her employees or maintaining the quality of the newspaper. She had an office at The Maui News long after her tenure as publisher was over.

She also served as chairwoman and president of Maui Land & Pineapple Co. Even as other pineapple plantations folded across the state, the family strove to keep the pineapple industry and the jobs of many Maui residents intact, she told a Honolulu newspaper.

Sanford was the daughter of the late J. Walter Cameron and Francis Baldwin Cameron, who were descendants of prominent missionary families in Hawaii.

Sanford served on many community boards and was a noted donor to many Maui organizations, including the Maui Historical Society, Hospice Maui, Maui Nui Botanical Gardens and Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

John T. Vail

June 22, 1932-Feb. 16, 2016

Vail, 83, a retired judge from Olinda, is remembered as being kindhearted but gruff with his words when handing down sentences in his courtroom.

Originally from New Jersey, Vail was a 2nd Circuit District Court judge from 1989 to 1996. Prior to that, he served as a per-diem judge in District Court while running his law practice.

Vail again served as a per-diem judge after his retirement. He was a member of various law firms on Maui, including Ueoka and Luna, beginning in the late 1950s.

He loved cars and was a former president of the Maui Country Club, where he was an avid golfer.

Gary Planos

July 26, 1953-March 26, 2016

Planos, 62, started out as a caddie at Kapalua in 1975, but rose to became a favorite host among PGA Tour players when he ran the Tournament of Champions.

Planos was the tournament director for the Kapalua International, a nontour event, from 1991 until 1999. He was also the initial chairman of Kapalua's PGA Tour event, which first took place in 1999, and had that role until 2010.

In all, Planos held nine positions at Kapalua -- the last was senior vice president of resort operations in 2011 before his job was eliminated when Kapalua decided to no longer manage golf courses and tournaments.

In his early years on Maui, he was an assistant professional at Kaanapali, where he served his three-year apprenticeship, then worked at the Wailea Blue Course as a teaching professional. He was known and respected by the Maui community, golfers around the world and the media.

Ron Youngblood

July 30, 1942-April 4, 2016

Youngblood, 73, was the former Opinion page editor and columnist at The Maui News.

He retired in 2009 after 25 years with the newspaper, where he began as a wire editor in 1984. In 2000, he became the Opinion page editor, working on letters to the editor and writing editorials. His weekly column, "Maui Nei," was a mainstay every Thursday at the newspaper for many years, and he continued writing it well past his retirement.

He captured Maui life and the spirit of its people through his earlier writings at The Maui News, particularly with the Sunday feature "Maui People," and was a mentor to young writers and journalists.

Prior to joining the newspaper, Youngblood was a DJ and newscaster with KNUI radio from 1981 to 1984. In 1979, he was editor of the weekly tabloid The Maui Sun.

Between 1968 and 1974, Youngblood worked at the Honolulu Advertiser, where he was assistant city editor, general assignment reporter, graphics editor and later became the paper's Maui correspondent. In the bridge between the Oahu paper and Maui Sun, Youngblood joined the administration of Mayor Elmer Cravalho as an information and complaints officer.

Youngblood was a reporter in the Midwest, first in the United Press International bureau in Indianapolis in 1962 and later in Chicago's UPI Central Division as an overnight editor.

Coila Eade

Oct. 9, 1923-May 24, 2016

Eade, 92, of Hana, led the nonprofit Hana Cultural Center for more than 25 years and is responsible for preserving Hana's history.

She helped start the center, volunteered her time as executive director and never got paid. She also started the museum's newsletter.

The center received a certificate of commendation for its contributions from the American Association for State and Local History in 1994. The honor was for the restoration of Hana Hongwanji and the courthouse and building the museum.

Elmer F. Cravalho

Feb. 19, 1926-June 27, 2016

Cravalho, 90, of Kula was a Maui County chairman in 1966 and was elected as the first Maui County mayor in 1968. He served until 1979.

He was a teacher before he entered politics with the new wave of Democrats in 1954. He was a Maui territorial and state representative from 1954 to 1967 and was speaker of the House from 1958 to 1967.

In 1954, Cravalho and six others began the Kula Community Federal Credit Union with $35 each. He served the credit union for decades without any pay, well into his late 80s. The credit union received high ratings and is remembered for helping families buy their first homes.

He was also instrumental in establishing Hale Mahaolu and Maui Economic Opportunity, expanding the Maui County parks system and fighting to stop the bombing of Kahoolawe, among many projects and interests.

Sister Rose Damien Malabon

Jan. 28, 1932-June 29, 2016

The 84-year-old, born on Maui as Inez, became the island's first sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1953.

She taught in California and elsewhere on the Mainland as well as on Oahu and Maui, where she was Christ the King parish's director of religious education and liturgy resource person.

She was a volunteer service provider at Kalihi Valley and Punchbowl homes in Honolulu. In 1990, she was honored by the Honolulu Police Department with that year's Citizenship Award because of her leadership and dedication to improving living conditions in the Kalihi Valley area, including starting a Neighborhood Citizen Patrol and playing a role in starting programs and activities for children and adults.

Helen McCord

Dec. 1, 1942-July 28, 2016

The 73-year-old Kula resident is remembered as the lady who passed out candy canes to children as families shopped for Christmas trees at her family-owned Kula Botanical Garden.

She also was a big community volunteer, especially for youth.

In 2014, she received the Michael H. Lyons Palaka Award for her volunteer service with Maui Youth & Family Services, where she volunteered for 19 years.

She taught Sunday School and sang soprano at Makawao Union Church, volunteered for the King Kekaulike High School theater and was a hanai aunty to many children.

Meyer Ueoka

July 4, 1920-Aug. 26, 2016

Ueoka, 96, was a longtime Maui attorney and a former member of the state House of Representatives and the state Board of Education.

He also was a member of the Military Intelligence Service in World War II and received a Congressional Gold Medal that honored Japanese-Americans for their service as part of the MIS, 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Ueoka served and led many organizations, including the Maui Japanese Community Association and Maui County Boy Scouts of America. He was also very active at the Paia Mantokuji Mission, which his father founded.

William Theodore "Ted" Cleghorn

July 8, 1941-Dec. 12, 2016

Cleghorn, 75, a longtime veterinarian, established the Makawao Veterinary Clinic at the Maui Horse Center. He was given the opportunity by Haku Baldwin in 1974. Cleghorn, a Kula resident, retired  in 2001.

He also worked with critters on Molokai and Oahu in his early years. His professional career began at the Blue Cross Animal Hospital on Oahu in 1969.

Soon after, he moved his family to Maui, where he worked with veterinarian Clarence Ching before opening his own practice.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

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