Elizabeth Strauch Ohta
My condolences go out to the family of Tania Gomez Lui-Kwan: her sons, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, sisters, brother, nieces and nephews.
The world has lost a bright light with the passing of Tania. Her special sparkle was a welcome sight for many a sore eye during her lifetime.
We first met as high school students at Sacred Hearts Academy. We had in common that we had way more responsibilities than most people our age, we were chain smokers, and each of us had a beloved little brother.
At the time, I worked several parttime jobs, was a fulltime student, and pretty much lived from hand to mouth.
In the absence of a mother, she took care of her household, ran errands for her father, and completed her senior year of high school.
She very generously welcomed me to her house and shared her family and culture. We were both interested in cooking. She was a skilled cook and I learned a lot from her. One of my favorite dishes at the time was her shoyu chicken wings.
She was so capable at such a young age. I remember when I used to go with her to collect rents for her father. Years later, when I became a landlady, the memory of it made me smile.
During the summer of 1966, she was a frequent visitor to my apartment in what was then called the Waikiki jungle. We met the most unusual assortment of new friends, and there was never a dull moment.
I saw her off to college, and our paths seldom crossed for several years. That was before the invention of email and Skype, so we lost touch.
About 10 years ago we finally reunited. I was on O`ahu and she invited me to her place in Kane`ohe. She prepared a sumptuous lunch, and we laughed and talked for hours. It was as if no time had passed and we caught up on everything in life that had transpired since high school.
We kept in touch through email and exchanged photos of grandchildren, who without a doubt, were the joys of our lives.
I hope she knew what an important influence she was on my life. It was greatly enhanced just by knowing her. Her generosity, kindness, compassion and resilience have been examples to me as I have gone through life. I was proud to call her my friend.