Birth date: Oct 30, 1931 Death date: Nov 25, 2015
Anita Sweet Tyau, 84, of Honolulu, passed away on November 25, 2015 in Honolulu. She was born on October 30, 1931 to Merton E. and Jennie Mabel (Smith) Sweet in Clifton Springs, New York. Anita was a retired Licensed Practical Nur Read Obituary
My sincere condolences to your family. May you find comfort found in the words of Isaiah 25:8
The ceremony was simple and elegant. Her coffin was very beautiful and feminine. There was a huge, circular spray of red and white roses from Children and Grandchildren, and a large spray of white roses, with one red rose, from David. There were several other arrangements from others - thank you Aunt Jan and Uncle Frank for the very pretty arrangement you sent: it was perfect. She was wearing a beautiful blue silk blouse and pretty pink lipstick - her favorite. Father Victor, a priest who'd given her great comfort in hospice, led a short ceremony. He was gracious enough to put together a very nice pamphlet with her photo and some lovely prayers for both the Private Viewing and the Graveside Service.
We started with the Private Viewing. About 50 of David's friends and family attended. When most of them had cleared out (to meet us at the Graveside Service), I placed a fluffy, floppy Teddy bear with her, giving her a gentle hug (she loved stuffed animals, and Teddy bears were her favorite). I'd given this sweet bear to her a few days before, and had tucked him into her arms. She passed with him in the same position I'd placed him. I also placed a small, white, laced pouch into her hands. The day before, David and I went to Ala Moana Beach Park, and I picked several teeny seashells from that beach - It was one of my mom's favorite places to go to walk with David, and to pick teeny-tiny shells (one of her favorite things to do when I was a kid). I placed the shells I'd picked (all except for one - to save for me) into the lace pouch.
After the Private Viewing, she was moved into a white hearse and driven the short distance to her grave site. The weather was mild, and the day was sunny blue and green. The Pallbearers were David's friends and family. They attended her to her grave, and she was placed on a mechanical device to lower her into her body's resting place. There were several chairs placed at the site, along with a shade tent that covered her grave and the chairs. Father Victor gave his Rite of Committal, and David's cousin, Dennis, did a very beautiful and moving Hawaiian chant (reminding us that she is now our "aumakua", a Hawaiian spirit and personal angel), followed by a ukulele accompanied singing of Aloha O'e.
The last thing to be done was the lowering of her into her grave. As is Chinese custom, before this was performed, we were all asked to stand and turn our backs (I believe this is a vestige of trying to keep people from jumping into the grave). We all stood, turned our backs, and listened to her being lowered. It was also a time to reflect...
From the graveyard, all were invited to the Lung Fung Chinese Restaurant in Niu Valley. This 7-course feast was hosted by David. About 80 people attended. The meal was excellent and included Peking duck, shrimp with honey-roasted walnuts, rainbow soup, and many other fine dishes. It was very nice to see so many people celebrating my mother's life.
THE TEARS COME AS I THINK OF YOU BUT I AM HAPPY THAT YOU ARE FREE OF THE PAIN AND SUFFERING& I WILL KEEP THE HAPPY MEMORIES THAT WE SHARED LOVE JAN.
My favorite photo of my mother and me: She, David, and I had just finished lunch at the Crouching Lion restaurant, something we did fairly regularly on Sundays. One of my mom's favorite things to do was to pick teeny-tiny shells off the beach so, after lunch, we went to the beach across the street from the restaurant and spent some precious time doing one of her favorite things together.
