It was such an honor to be invited to join Cousin Ann's family as they laid their beloved father, grandfather, brother and my uncle Roy to rest at Diamond Head Memorial on Friday, February 3, 2017. It was a perfect day, sunny, bright with a cool breeze.
Here is granddaughter Tracy's eulogy.
Hi family!
I have included the eulogy for Roy. I am thankful that you found it befitting, and I wish his entire memoir could be brought into
the world as testament to everything he was. Too bad people would rather read about the lives of celebrities when there are such amazing people living interesting and impactful lives quietly among us! He really is such an inspiration.
Love,
Tracy
Grandpa Roy
Roy Saburo Higa was born May 19th, 1922 in Lahaina,
Maui as the 4th oldest of 9 children.
His early years growing up in Makawao were spent enjoying
school, helping his mother make and sell homemade tofu, while being a dependable and caring hard worker from a young age.
Thus began the life of a man who was a life-long learner
-- deeply interested in life, the world around him, and the people in it.
If his memory had a scent it would be a concoction consisting
of the leathery new-car smell of his always-immaculate automobiles, mixed with the sunscreen he would undoubtedly be wearing,
with a waft of spearmint from a cert breath mint, and a hint of the odor of a man who is constantly tending plants in the yard,
hiking up Diamond Head daily, and
walking to Kahala mall to meet with friends at McDonald's for coffee... or to buy a book at Barnes and Nobles.
Perhaps that's another scent: books. The luxurious
glossy-ink smell of a full-color coffee-table book, mixed with the yellowing, musty, dusty smell of ancient paperbacks.
Books everywhere! In piles beside his desk, on his tall
bedroom bookshelf, and on the living room table beside his multitude of magazine subscriptions and the daily newspaper. Books about Japanese history, classic cars, folklore, trains, airplanes, travel, maps, samurai stories, obake tales, raunchy jokes, and
the random historical novel.
This was the natural habitat of an intelligent man with
a great work ethic and even greater heart.
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These traits took him through the ranks of the Honolulu
Police Department -- from his humble beginnings in 1946 as a footpatrolman, to retiring in 1975 as rank of Major with 1 captain, 5 lieutenants, 1 sergeant and 104 civilians under his supervision.
Details from his career include undercover intelligence
work, Juvenile Crime Prevention, and implementing 911 as a Universal Emergency Number in Honolulu in 1975.
From 1969- 1972 he was a part time instructor for the
Police Science program at Honolulu Community College, befittingly teaching a course in Community and Human Relations.
Before that, he held occupations ranging from a clerk and equipment operator for the Army, a stevedore at Castle & Cooke terminals, and owning
and operating The Cozy Corner Restaurant in Nuuanu with my Grandma Mildred from 1943-1945.
The Cozy Corner was a little shop with a juke box and
soda fountain that sold sandwiches and provided photo-finishing services. “It didn't make much money,” he mused in his notes years later, “but I learned that you can do anything -- just do it.”
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He had a love for Hawaiiana and hospitality. While working
under the police chief, he was known for the special care and interest he took to playing host for visiting VIPS -- from making their hotel reservations and greeting them at the airport, to treating them to his entertaining and knowledgeable personally-guided
sightseeing tours around the island .
In his 1975 resume for a Hotel management position,
the retired police Major offered to work his way up, saying he wouldn't mind starting as a busboy or maintenance man if needed.
He explained: "My work ethic is simple: do more than
what is expected of me and my best efforts can always be improved."
This new career path was never realized, as he took
priority caring for his elderly mother, then later traveling and helping out others around him.
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He was a passionate man, although it manifested much
more through his lifestyle and interests than through his demeanor, which in retrospect proves it all the more deep. He involved himself with photography, water sports, gardening, writing, reading, and home carpentry.
-
He would walk fast, especially when hiking, but he always
had a calm and deliberate manner about everything else. I've never seen him lose his cool or get too overly excited about anything, although he had a perpetual sense of humor, with a hearty laugh.
Perhaps he was calm and deliberate not because of his
age, but because there was thought and purpose behind everything he did. He never just let life pass by and happen to him; he happened to his life. He was always curious, aware, involved -- wanting to learn more and do more.
While pondering something, he would sit and stare off
into the distance while rubbing the armrest of the chair with one hand, as if trying to help turn the gears in his brain. His memory was cavernous.
He kept a cabinet of classic model cars above grandma's
miniature owl collection, and he would allow us little children to gently handle them as he rattled off years and names, and makes and models. He
knew a little bit about everything.
He was known to possess the uncanny ability to map out
the entire history of Japan on the back of a McDonald's napkin.
--
He felt a strong obligation to take care of his family,
always offering help when needed. When Grandma was in the hospital, Grandpa would visit her every single day.
I know they had their differences throughout their relationship,
but growing up, we never would've known. They've both only demonstrated unconditional love and kindness.
---
We're all so blessed to have had him in our lives. He
lived such a long and full life, went peacefully, and didn't spend his final years in any physical pain.
He deeply influenced my passion for reading, writing,
staying active and exploring the world, keeping a sense of humor, and above all -- to be a good person.
He never adhered to any particular religion, instead
he demonstrated his beliefs by living fully as a curious, kind-hearted, humble, loving human being and giver to humanity; qualities which have deeply influenced my Mom & Dad, and have become my own standard of how to live a good life.
This essence is what made him such a special person.
I’m sure I speak for us all.
This is what he gave us, what brought us happiness and
love, and in his honor we can keep this in our minds and hearts, always.
He would want that, I believe. He wouldn't want to
inconvenience anyone or have us be incapacitated with sadness.
He would want to be remembered as father, brother, friend,
and grandfather with joy and love, and would probably have something lighthearted and humorous to say about all of this.
--
Perhaps it's not about having to say goodbye. It's
about allowing him to peacefully go back to the universe, and to continue to hold joy and love for him in our hearts.
Now we can ask ourselves, as we can for any moment in
our lives: who do we need to be in this moment?
Grandpa Roy would've tried to be the best version of
himself that he could for any circumstance. It's not about perfection, it's about having a purpose. Every moment of life is precious, and to not spend it in appreciation and love and good thoughts and actions would be robbing ourselves of fully living.
I believe this is the essence of life: to love and to
grow.
Beautiful souls live on inside the beautiful souls of
others.
“What we have once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”
— Helen Keller
