Celebration of Life – Saturday, September 12th – 9:00 am Paddle Out Ceremony in Lanikai
Celebration of Life
Thank you to all who joined us in person and in spirit for Roberta’s Celebration of Life to honor our mom’s 69th birthday on Saturday. Those who joined us for a paddle out ceremony in Lanikai to scatter her ashes were treated to an amazing break in the wind for a calm water paddle and a beautiful ceremony. The party was up to Berta’s standards as well, going late into the evening. Please keep Kahuna Manu’s words in mind moving forward, to forgive and let go, to do beautiful things for the people in our lives today (rather than after they are gone), and to live with Aloha.
Aloha Auntie Berta
After a 4.5-year battle with stage IV non-small cell adenocarcinoma lung cancer, we said goodbye to our mom, Roberta Fujioka, on Thursday, August 13th. From the moment she was diagnosed, she fought fiercely and with incredible positivity, radically changing her lifestyle and nutrition and inspiring others along the way. After being stable since January of 2014, she recently lost vision in her right eye and learned that her cancer had spread to her brain and spine and underwent two weeks of radiation therapy. She was admitted to the ER on Tuesday night, August 11th and was diagnosed with flu and pneumonia. Dean was with her from midnight that night and Tiffany flew back in on the last seat on the last plane from Seattle on Wednesday night. All of her children were with her as she transitioned to the next phase of her journey, which she did peacefully, without pain, and on her own terms. Although she never gave up, we are slowly discovering just how at peace she was and how much she was embracing life to its absolute fullest at the end. She was full of energy and grandma spunk during Tiffany, Jason, and Jonah’s visit the weeks before. On Saturday, August 8th, she had her home and soul blessed by Keola Conner and Kanoa Switzer of E Ho’omanamaiola. Mom spent the next days living it up Roberta style. We learned that she went to the beach, saw a movie, took Dean’s car for a joy-ride to Makaha, went skinny dipping (twice!) at the beach and in a pool, picked Dean and Stephanie up from the airport, exclaiming with both hands up, “I can see!”, made dinner, and hung out with friends. She was 150% on Monday, going non-stop from 5am until 11pm, and having a ball.
She was mom to us, but many in her circle know her as Auntie Berta, and she was much more than an auntie. She was a daughter with a sense of adventure, a sister with an undying love, a rabid UNM Lobo fan, a wife with a knack for having fun, a protective yet liberating mother to three children, a teacher of challenging and controversial subjects to so many Kaiser High School students, an entrepreneur, Real Estate Broker, business owner, partner and co-worker who fought for her clients and curly dresses, a dedicated UH Warrior sports fan, a scholar and advocate of nutrition to help fight cancer, the best of grandmas, and a friend who would literally drop everything to help you out, make you a lei from her Puakenikeni tree, and give you a hug.
Memorial Service
Mahalo to all who joined us both in person and in spirit for the reception and memorial service at First Presbyterian at Ko’olau on Friday, August 21st. Auntie Berta was smiling upon us all.
Donations
Mahalo for all of the aloha and support you have given us during this time. We are so happy to see how much our mom was loved by so many. If you would like to make a donation to Auntie Berta’s Memorial, please click on the Paypal link below. Initial donations will help to cover costs of services. Any greater amount will go to assist in the dissemination of Auntie Berta’s wealth of information about anti-cancer foods, to launch her recent line of home made all natural salves “Skinsational”, “Wound Warrior”, and “Hawaiian Healer” and to subsidize an anti-cancer menu across hospitals, schools, and other institutions. The even greater goals are to assist all mothers with cancer in via a Cancer Support Center, and eventually all moms.
13 Comments
I am so saddened by the lost of your Mother I was blessed the day I Met Roberta and became her friend, she inspired me on the journey in life I am taking. She taught me knowledge is a gift you pass on. As she attended the University of Hawaii learning Hawaiin medicine I was blessed to be part of the journey ( she told me one of the things she was learning was to pass her knowledge on) she inspired me after being chronically ill for 9 years that I could change my diagnosis through food through the knowledge I learned from her and through the knowledge of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition I have been able to go from 31 medications. My life would of never changed without Roberta’s guidance, help and inspiration. I can not ever tell you how much she will be missed in my life. My heart and prayers go out to all of you. Her children were her life and Jonah (her grandson was the sparkle in her eyes) I am so sorry she will be missed..I will see you for her Celebration of life because if anyone lived Roberta did
We were in college at UNM at the same time. Her sister, Carol, and I were on the swim team. Berta was an upbeat, fun loving person and will be missed by many, I’m sure.I still have 2 bathing suit cover-ups she gave me on a plane to HI a long time ago when we ran into each other.
I new your mother from our lāʻau lapaʻau class at the University of Hawai’i. I was a heavy smoker and she shared with me her battle with lung cancer and was the reason i quit smoking. I remember she was so happy when i told her. I am so sorry for your loss I will miss her greatly and my prayers go out to your Ohana.
I will miss you Berta. You are such an amazing woman, just like Carol but in different ways. I love you. Give my mom and Carol hugs and kisses for me. Aloha!
My deepest sympathy to the Fujioka family.
Aloha e ʻohana o Fujioka! I met your mother a year ago in Laʻau lapa au class. I was drawn to her because of her kindness, strength, and positive energy. She was a hero to me and a mentor. Being from Kauai she was a motherly figure to me on Oʻahu. She called me her “hanai daughter” and that meant a lot because I was having a difficult time being away from home. She gave the best hugs and often lit up when she would talk about her grandson. We went on nature hikes, made leis together, and we made salves together. She inspired me in many ways. She helped me through the passing of my brother this past February…she had so much love and was there for me at the most difficult times! She donated tropicals and many puakenikeni flowers for leis, she surprised me and made skinsation salves for donations to help towards my brothers celebration of life. She was the sweetest! A warrior, strong and persevered! There are so much good things to say about this BEAUTIFUL woman, She was Amazing! Deepest sympathy to your ʻOhana! My heart is so heavy for our loss! She is greatly missed! Aloha pumehana & a hui hou
I have known Berta since age 4 as we grew up together on the same block in Albuquerque. She was always a close and dear friend. We shared many memories of our childhood through the years. She will never be forgotten and I am a lucky person to have had the privilege of having such a wonderful friend.
Aloha
Hello
Dear friend
it’s been awhile
but it seems like yesterday
I think of you often
the laughs
the fun
the joy
You held my hand
I held yours
we comforted each other
in good times and bad
thank you
and now
too soon
you have gone
Good bye
Aloha
Had to leave Hawaii on Aug 17th .
Roberta clearly understood the value of life and she certainly knew what to do with it. How wonderful to get to know and love such an intensly , brilliantly burning life force, packaged so beautifully as an unforgettably lovely and gracious human being.
What a lovely service the family and friends created at the Presbyterian Church. There was so much love in the room.
Roberta was so kind to me when I arrived in Kailua.
I met her on Kailua Beach walking her dogs. We became friends and real estate colleagues.
My first Mother’s Day in Kailua twenty years ago, Roberta invited me to join her and friends to the Big City Diner for brunch. That made me feel great as a new comer. She presented me with a fragrant lei from her garden.
What a beautiful, kind heart ….
I shall always remember Roberta with a smile on her face and a flower in her hair. Indeed she was a bright shining light to so many and now she will brighten heaven! Rest in Peace with God Sweet Lady!!
Fond Aloha,
Helen Peil Baker
I’ve known Roberta for more than 20 years. She was my very first broker at Century 21 Kalani Properties. I met her because she came to my real estate class graduation to recruit agents. I worked with her on and off over the years.. she was a mentor and friend. She had incredible challenges in work and her personal life but she was always strong and calm. I never heard her complain about anything. I learned a lot from Roberta about handing difficult things.
She was also loving, and always warm and open to people. She had the Aloha Spirit for sure! She accepted everyone and didn’t have a bad thing to say about anyone. She was generous and giving and joyful. She really lived everyday and spent time doing quality things. She had lots of friends and was very social.. but always had time to spend with me.
Even though I didn’t communicate with Roberta often she was one of my best friends. I would see her every time I came to town and we would pick up as if there was no time lost.
She fought hard for life when diagnosed with disease. She loved her children, and grandchild. She beat great odds with determination to survive beyond the few months the doctors gave her. She is and will always be a great inspiration to me.
I love you Roberta, I will never forget you. Your love of life and strength will be an example for me to strive for in my own life. I feel so blessed to have been your friend!
Roberta we love you. You helped us start our journey here in Hawaii. We will be forever grateful for your kindness, love and stories. Our family will always be forever thankful for your help, joy and love. You will be dearly missed. You will never be forgotten! Live, life, laughter – Mahalo.