Edith W. Don
Edith Flavia Wright Don, a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, godmother and friend, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones at age 85 on December 21, 2024, on Maui, the place she called home for over five decades. Edith was born on 7 May 1939 in Bluefields, Nicaragua, as the fifth of seven children, and the first daughter of Edith Kwok and John Wright. Fluent in Spanish, Cantonese, and English, Edith had her formal introduction to US culture in Louisana where she spent her formative years, and later in California where she graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Economics and a teaching certificate in education.
Edith’s life was shaped by her commitment to education and community service. She taught catechism at St Theresa’s and confirmation classes at Holy Ghost. She helped provide scholarships and support health education in elementary schools while leading the Maui Medical Auxiliary 1978-1981 and serving as the state president of the Hawai'i Medical Association (HMA) Auxiliary 1989-1991. Edith also served on the boards of the Pukalani Community Association and Somos Ohana Nicaragua.
She is remembered for her devout faith, generosity, kindness, and love for family. She is survived by her devoted husband Andy; sister Lisa; in-laws Josie, Chi-Ling, Sherman and Edward; children Jennifer, Lauren, Creighton, and Katherine and their spouses Donald, Aaron, May, and Daniel; grandchildren Andrew, Marissa, Christopher, Zoe, Noah, Alexander, Benjamin, Naomi, Hana, and Rae; families of a dozen nieces and nephews; and a wide circle of dear friends on Maui, Hawai'i and on the continent.
Edith is laid to rest in Oakland, California, at Mountain View Cemetery next to her parents and brothers. There, her spirit lives on through the countless lives she touched, and her family continues to honor her memory by carrying forward her values of love, family, education, and care for the earth.
A memorial mass will be held at 10am on Saturday July 12, 2025 at St Anthony’s Church in Wailuku. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hawai’i Community Foundation Andrew and Edith W. Don Scholarship Fund, which supports students and educators in Maui County. Recently, the fund has provided professional development grants to benefit teachers at Baldwin High, Seabury Hall, Emmanuel Lutheran, and St. Anthony schools.