Please think of Lisa Yamaguchi tonight. She has decided to be taken off the ventilator this Saturday. My dad always had a soft spot in his heart for Lisa. We are thinking of you and your family during this difficult time.
The following was taken from a website created by many of Lisa's friends.
Written by The Manana Gang
Wednesday, 16 August 2006
Our Friend Lisa...
Is it possible to use words to illustrate the life of a great friend? Actions speak louder than words and when one thinks about our friend, Lisa Yamaguchi, the word service comes to mind. When the great American Thinker, Philosopher, and Writer of the early 1900’s Elbert Hubbard said, “One great, strong, unselfish soul in every community could actually redeem the world.” He was speaking of our friend.
Lisa graced the halls of Manana Elementary School in Pearl City during our fourth grade year, recently transferring from Alvah Scott Elementary in Aiea. The transition to her new school was smooth as she befriended six new classmates (Valerie Fujitani, Lisa Tamura, Lori Yamamoto, Kellie Inouye, Tracy Imagawa, and Julie Camarillo). Little did we all know that our friendship would span three decades, a multitude of boyfriends, eight marriages, a herd of kids, a gamut of career changes, the roller skating era, and a variety of interesting hair choices. Through it all, “the Manana Gang” has managed to rise above the diversity and remain close.
Graduating from Pearl City High School in 1985, Lisa went on to the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Psychology which led her to a myriad of job opportunities in which her “…strong, unselfish soul…” was called into action.
Lisa worked at a Spouse Abuse Shelter, helping families rebuild their lives. She then moved on to becoming a Headstart Pre-school teacher for 10 years where educating our youngest population became her passion. Recently resigning from a one-year post as a YMCA outreach counselor at Waialua High School, Lisa listened with open ears, hands, and heart as teens turned to her for gentle, but loud affirmation that there is good in the world and one must always strive for that.
Our friend, Lisa Yamaguchi, was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) or Lou Gehrig’s disease in March 2006. Physically, our friend is being imprisoned by this disease, but her mind and heart are still as sharp and warm as ever. Lisa has dedicated her pre-ALS life to helping “redeem” our world with her service to others. We hope that Lisa’s life of service will not have been done in vain as we all rally to help her live with the new challenges of her current conditions while we continue the unselfish path she has set before us.
Love always,
Julie, Tracy, Lisa, Kellie, Lori, and Valerie
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