Cecilia Kalino Lum's Obituary
Cecilia Kalino “Cissy” Lum, 86, surrounded by her family at Castle Medical Center, passed away on January 14, 2021.
Born and raised in Koko Head, her first job as a cashier at Woodland Store in 1950 was kitty corner from her final principalship at Koko Head Elementary School, 2010.
She graduated with the highest honors at Sacred Hearts Academy in 1951 and continued at UH Manoa and UHM teachers’ college as a Te Chih Sheh Sorority sister. Upon graduation, Celia started her teaching career in Sunnyvale, California and returned to Hawaii to start her illustrious career with HDOE around 1963. Guided by the late Takao Ito and poker partner principal Betty Shishido, Cecilia forged ahead as a reading curriculum specialist and served at Kaimiloa Elementary, Ahuimanu Elementary and thirty years at Koko Head. She was a strong proponent of the Administrative Intern Program, mentoring future principals over ten years. Celia instilled respect, fairness and common sense to her staff and cohorts and offered praise or corrective advice when warranted.
During summers, Celia led bus tours across the USA via Fly Away Tours. Her Branson, Disneyland/ San Francisco, Alaska, Canada and New York tours were always sold out because of her enthusiastic and caring style and because they always managed to end in Las Vegas. Celia enjoyed Vegas and you were special if you got to travel with her. You could find her at the “Progressives” that was soon to hit or at the Redwood at the Cal.
Her greatest love was her family. Her devotion, praise, and positive spirit factored in that all of her nieces, nephews and 2 grand nephews graduated from college. Plus, her freezer always had goodies for them, including the best chocolates: Sees, Ethel M, Frango, Frans and the Turtle pralines from Savannah.
Celia is now reunited with her parents, Grace and C.K.Lum, sister, Lehua, brothers Clarence Jr. and Michael, brother in law, Norbert Bissen and nephew Earl Von Bissen. She is survived by sister, JoAnn Kaakua (Joseph), nieces, Toni Bissen (Dane) and Jessica Kaakua, nephews, Blaise Bissen (Adreen), Jonah Kaakua(Christine), and Joshua Kaakua (Laura). Her pride and joy are grandnephews Liam, Brian, Christian, Pono and Parker and grandnieces, Trinity, Grace and Melia.
Private Services. She will be buried at Diamond Head Memorial Park.
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