Dr. Perry Sumida '30
Vounteer Extraordinaire, Philanthropist, Humanitarian, Friend to the Youth
Treasure #8

Perry Takeo Sumida was born in Honolulu on January 25, 1909, the son of Shinsuke and Kame (Otomori) Sumida.  He attended Kaiulani School until the fourth grade.  In 1919, at the age of 10, he went to Japan with his parents where he continued his schooling.  In 1924, they returned to Hawaii and enrolled at Hawaiian Mission Academy.  In 1929 due to the school's financial problems and low enrollment grades 11 & 12 were discontinued and the students were force to attend other schools.  Perry chose to attend McKinley High School but kept very close contact with J. Alfred Simonson, principal at HMA and Dr. James Kuninobu.

Perry was highly intelligent and a very good student.  He was interested in accounting and was set on becoming an accountant.  His parents enhanced the idea by their willingness to send him to Honolulu Business College.  But at the same the principal at HMA was encouraging Perry to go to the mainland and to study medicine.  Perry’s parents were against sending Perry to the mainland because many of the island boys going to the mainland to attend school were not attending at all. In 1930 Perry graduated from McKinley High School.

Seeing the potential in Perry, Principal Simonson and Dr. Kuninobu were able to persuade Perry’s parents to change their minds.  So off he went to take his pre-medical studies at Pacific Union College in Angwin, California.  He completed his studies and entered the College of Medical Evangelist in Loma Linda California (name changed in 1961 to Loma Linda University Medical School).  He graduated in 1939.

Perry did his internship at the White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles, California (today, White Memorial Medical Center).  After completing his internship 1941 he attended graduate school in Ophthamology at the School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.  After graduation he returned to the White Memorial to complete another year of residency.

In 1939 he married Misako Sakai in Los Angeles on August 17, 1939.  They became the parents of three sons, Richard, Ronald, and Raymond; and a daughter Susan (Mrs. Robert Gottesman).

In 1942, Dr. Sumida was sent to Colorado River Relocation Center at Poston, Arizona.  Mrs. Sumida did not accompany her husband to Poston since she was about to have their first baby, who born at White Memorial.  The hospital kept both Misako and baby Richard at the hospital for a month before they were ready to make the trip to Poston.  When they arrived she found that the barracks was divided into four sections 25’ x 25’ and each section housed a family.  Arizona summers are extremely hot causing difficulties for the baby and mother.   Dr. Sumida obtained permission to purchase a water cooler at Sears which brought some relief.  With the coming of winter, insulation against the cold became a problem.  One oil stove was permitted in each section, but the cracks in the floor and walls were so many that the heat escaped.  Dr. Sumida was also given permission to purchase a piece of linoleum for the floor and he used corrugated paper boxes that he cut into brick sized sections and put them on the wall.  They made the best of the worst condition.  They then named their first son Richard and gave him the middle Tatsuo, which mean evacuation in Japanese.

During this 15-month period of time that they spent at Poston, Arizona, Dr. Sumida along with 5 other Nisei (second generation) doctors were able to organize and open Poston General Hospital, located on the Indian Reservation.  Four of these doctors including Dr. Sumida came from Hawaii.  Dr. Sumida was in charge of the Eye Department and Pediatrics.  More than 20,000 residents of the Relocation Center, plus Indians from the Reservation, were care for by these six doctors.

In 1944, Dr. Sumida returned to Honolulu where he was House Physician at Kuakini Hospital for one year.   He opened his practice in Honolulu where he specialized in ophthalmology.  During his 33 years of active practice, Dr. Sumida was a member of the Honolulu County Medical Society, the Hawaii Medical Association, the American Medical Association, the Hawaii Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat  Society (president in 1964), Board of Directors of Kuakini Hospital, Secretary-Treasurer of the Loma Linda Alumni Association (1953), President of the Hawaiian Mission Academy Alumni Association (1965-68) an was appointed by the Governor John Burns to the Medical Advisory Board for the State of Hawaii.

In 1950, Dr. Sumida was appointed to Hawaiian Mission Academy Board of Trustees.  It was during his tenure that the two-story home economics building, the administration building and library were completed in 1954.  Then in 1957 the cafeteria, Miranda Hall was built.  In 1966 the new second floor construction was completed to house the language lab, conference room, teacher offices, classrooms and restrooms.

In 1966, Dr. Sumida was elected president of the HMA Alumni Association.  The Alumni Association took a leading roll in the plans that were made and the construction of the a new gym-auditorium complex, music studios and band/choir practice room, locker rooms, offices, restrooms, industrial arts classroom, and a maintenance facility.

In 1969. during a routine physical, a kidney condition was discovered.  It became at time that he be place on renal dialysis.  Inspite of this, he carried on an active practice and remained active in the HMA Alumni Association.  He continued to do ophthalmology surgery.  In 1975 he became a founder and charter member of KORR, Kuakini Organization of Renal Rehabilitation, which was organized to provide mutual assistance among kidney dialysis patients.

On August 19, 1979, Dr. and Mrs. Sumida celebrated their 40 anniversary.  This was the same month he retired from active practice.  On January 7, 1980, Dr. Sumida died in Honolulu within a few days of his 71^st birthday.  He is survived by his wife, sons Ronald and Raymond, daughter Susan Gottesman; and two grandchildren.  His son Richard, died in 1976 while serving as chief flight nurse on the Loma Linda University Medical Center’s Air-Evac helicopter which was trying to make an emergency rescue landing at Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County.

Baptized in 1929, Dr. Sumida was always an active and dedicated member of his church.  He was a “charter member” of the Waimanalo Seventh-day Adventist Church.  Dr. Sumida had a deep concern for young people, and he and his wife provided outstanding service to the students of Hawaiian Mission Academy, children at Kailua Mission schools and those who were Pathfinders.

In a tribute to him the 1980 February issue of “Lifeline”, a publication of the Hawaiian Mission of Seventh-day Adventist, there is this quotation in reference to him:  “A Christ-like life is the most powerful argument that can be advanced in favor of Christianity.  Dr. Perry Sumida was a Seventh-day Adventist Christian”.

The 1970-71 Ka Lamaku was dedicated to Dr. Perry Sumida.  The dedication read: “To our trusted friend and confidant, Dr. Perry Sumida.  When we needed a helping hand, you were always there to encourage us.  We consider it our good fortune to have you as a member of our alumni.  Yours has been a life of dedicated in service to others, another footprint left in the sands of time”.

The Alumni Organization recognizes Dr. Perry Sumida as Treasure #8.  He will always be remembers as an exceptional individuals who loved and cared for young people.  He was a real servant of God and wonderful friend to the people of Hawaii.  He will be remembered as a volunteer extraordinaire, a humanitarian and philanthropist, and a special friend to the Youth of Hawaii and God's servant on earth.