Naomi Aiko Kono Yamashiro ‘46

Volunteer Extraordinaire, Philanthropist, Humanitarian 
Treasure #4

Naomi’s roots can be traced to a little town in Hiroshima, Japan.  Her grandfather accepted a job offer to come to Hawaii in 1880 to work as a cowboy on ranches in Kau, Hawaii.  Her father was born and raised in Kau.  Her parents later moved to Hilo where her father took a position as a bookkeeper and mother as a seamstress.

Naomi Aiko Kono Yamashiro was born in Hilo, Hawaii in 1927.   She was the fifth of eight children to be born in the City of Hilo.  All of her brothers and sisters attended Hilo Church School and all graduated from Hawaiian Mission Academy.   Naomi tells me that she was “urged by Principal Rice on his visit to Hilo church school in 1945 to come to HMA”.  According to old records Naomi was editor of the “Ka Lamaku” in her senior year.  It is also interesting to note that all of her older brothers graduated after her because they all joined the Army to serve their country prior to graduating from high school.

Naomi graduated from the College of Medical Evangelists-White Memorial Campus with her RN degree in 1951.  It was at White Memorial that she met senior medical student by the name of Charles Yamashiro and their romance blossomed and they were married in 1950.  After Charles completed his residency and military service, they returned to Hawaii in 1955 residing in Kailua, Oahu.

They opened their medical practice in Kailua where she was the head nurse, office manager and head janitor.   They have four children, Duane, Elaine, Wallace, and Vernon, all graduates of HMA.  They are grandparents to 11 children.

Naomi served as president of the Honolulu County Medical Society Women’s Auxiliary and president of the Hawaii Medical Association Women’s Auxiliary.  She headed the AMA Women’s Auxiliary North Western Regional International Health Activities which included supplying medications to hospitals and clinics in Vietnam, Korea, and Mexico.  She served on the Hawaii State Committee on Aging and on the Board of Planned Parenthood.

Her community involvement is well known.  They include teaching cooking classes for young mothers and providing a meeting place in their home for US Marines at Kaneohe to fellowship and study the bible.  Naomi found time to teach young mothers on caring for their children.  She also organized community groups and taught first aid, life-saving and water safety, and survival in the nuclear age.

Her services to the Kailua Adventist Church is also significant.  She is currently an elder in her church.  She has served in various capacities in the Sabbath school department and as well in other church offices.  She has been a leader in Pathfinders, vacation bible schools, and home and school leader.  She has been on numerous mission trips where she helped conduct bible classes and health clinics. 

Naomi and her husband Charles have sponsored many students at HMA, and at Adventist colleges and universities.  They have financially supported many community and mission projects at home and abroad.  Hawaiian Mission Academy and the School of Nursing at Loma Linda are blessed with a number of its amenities by their generosity.  They are also members of an elite humanitarian hui called “Chancellors”.

In 1969, Naomi was the first recipient of the HMA Alumni's “Ka Lamaku” award recognizing her outstanding services to Hawaiian Mission Academy and to the Church’s worldwide family.  Then in 1974 she received the “Abigail Kawananakoa” award for outstanding service to the people of Hawaii.

For many years, Naomi has been a member of the Board of Trustees for La Sierra University in Riverside, California and the Pacific Union College in Angwin, California.  She has severd more than 30 years on various Adventist Church Boards and Committees.  She is currently serving on the Executive & Association Committees of the Hawaii Conference of SDA, Pacific Union Conference of SDA, North American Division of SDA, General Conference of SDA, she is a Councilor on the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Science Center, and a Trustee on the Castle Medical Center Board.

Among her many awards and recognition she was presented in October 1997 an award by the Hawaii Conference for her faithful ministry to church and community.  In November 2000 the National Society of Fund Raising Executives recognized her for her exemplary promotion of philanthropy through volunteerism.  And on April 7, 2001 she received the Loma Linda University Humanitarian Award for “her special gifts of inspiration, compassion, generosity of spirit and means volunteer extraordinaire and exemplary leadership in the community, church, and home.”

Today, HMA Alumni Association recognizes Naomi Aiko Kono Yamashiro, Class of 1946, first as a wife, a mother, a grandmother, an outstanding teacher, a dedicated church leader and community servant, a volunteer extraordinaire, a philanthropist, a humanitarian, and a “HMA Treasure”.