FAMILY PLACED OBITUARY

ARTHUR WILSON MENEZES
ARTHUR WILSON MENEZES Arthur Wilson Menezes passed away on February 15, 2011, at Queen's Hospital. He was 93 years old. Arthur Menezes was born in Honolulu on April 5, 1917, the son of Manuel and Lucinda Menezes, and the youngest of six children. He grew up in Kaimuki. He loved surfing, wrestling and weight lifting. He won several wrestling championship titles in the Territory of Hawaii. Arthur graduated from St. Louis College in 1935. He sailed to Wake Island in May of 1941 to work there as a civilian. He participated in the Battle of Wake Island and was taken and held as a prisoner of war for forty-four months in China and Japan. In January of 1946 he married his long-time sweetheart, Helen Ornellas. They had eight children together and were happily married until Helen's death in 1987. A few years later, Arthur met and courted Geraldine (Medeiros) Keliinoi. She became Geraldine Menezes when she and Arthur married in May of 1993. Arthur always said he was blessed to have the love of two such wonderful women in his life. Arthur worked in the life insurance industry, spending forty years of his career as an agent with the New York Life Insurance Company. Arthur made many lifelong friendships among the men and women at the company. Arthur was a member of the YMCA, Elks Club, Portuguese Pioneer Civic Association and provided sweet harmony in the church choir, the Portuguese Chorale and the Honolulu Symphony Chorale. Arthur is survived by his wife, Geri, his eight children, Carol Scolari (Bill), Robert Menezes (Lori), Doug Menezes (Ellie), Susan Berk (Brent), Christi Wright (Pete), Jim Menezes (Patty), Mitch Menezes (Bridgette) and Marijo Parkin (Ed), and their families, including seventeen grandchildren and nine great grandchildren with two more on the way. Visitation will be at 9:00 a.m. on March 3, 2011, at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 800 Kaheka Street. A Mass will be celebrated immediately following, at 10 a.m. Inurnment will follow at 11:30 a.m. at Punchbowl, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The family asks that flowers be omitted.

Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased

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