Kay Tamaribuchi

November 14, 1937 - December 21, 2017

Kay Tamaribuchi. Age 80, of Wailuku, passed away peacefully on December 21, 2017. He was born on November 14, 1937 in Waimea, Kauai, to Ernest Kazuo and Angeline Mejdell Tamaribuchi. The youngest of five children, he grew up surrounded by the love of his sister Sue, brothers Bob, George, Kinney and cousin Tamae. Kay graduated from Waimea High School, Harvard and Stanford University. For 15 years, he worked in research and management for Shell Oil in the San Francisco Bay Area, Amsterdam, New York, Detroit, St. Louis, and Houston. For 11 years, he worked at MIT, the last five years as Special Assistant to Dr. David Saxon, Chairman of MIT. Returning to Hawaii in 1990, Kay joined the University of Hawaii Foundation and then Dean Witter Reynolds on Maui. Kay loved life! With his family, he was committed to church work with youth groups and assisting refugee families in Houston and Boston. He loved the outdoors - participating in the Boston Marathon, camping in New England, canoe trips in Canada with his son Peter’s Boy Scout Troop, and hiking in Haleakala Crater. Kay is survived by his wife of 56 years, Lorraine Sato Tamaribuchi; daughter, Leslie; son, Peter and granddaughters, Anli and Kailyn. He is also survived by sister, Tsuneko “Sue” Ono; brother, Kinney Tamaribuchi; sister-in-law, Esther Tamaribuchi; and cousin, Tamae “Terry” Kop. He was predeceased by his brothers, Robert and his wife, Shirley; George Tamaribuchi; brother-in-law, Champ Ono; sister-in-law, Susan Tamaribuchi; and cousin-in-law, Danny Kop. He is also survived by his Sato sisters-in-law, Katherine (Ted) Fukuda, Faith (Wilfred) Miyahira, Lynne (Charles) Toma and our very special aunties, uncles and cousins. He was blessed, too, by the loving support of the wonderful Tamaribuchi and Sato nieces and nephews who cheered Uncle Kay in so many ways. Thank you (Kay’s favorite words!) to our amazing extended family, dear friends, compassionate caregivers and All Island Handivan, CareResources Hawaii, Hale Makua, Hospice Maui, Kaiser Permanente, Maui Adult Day Care Center, Maui County Council on Aging, MEO Paratransit Bus, Meals on Wheels, and Na Hoaloha. Thank you! A celebration of Kay’s life will be held on Saturday, August 4, 2018 at Keawalai Congregational Church, Makena. Service presided by Kahu K. C. Alika will start at 8 a.m. followed by scattering of ashes in the bay beside the Church.