PATRICIA STANLEY LANG
Patricia Stanley Lang died on September 11, 2018 at her Diamond Head home surrounded by loved ones. She was 91 years old. Pat was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 18, 1927. She was the daughter of Desmond and Geneva Stanley and the granddaughter of William L. Stanley, a prominent lawyer and judge who came to Hawaii in 1892 from Ireland as a young man. He moved to the islands with relatives, Lord and Lady Heron, who met King Kalakaua on a train during the King's World Tour. Pat's father was born and raised in Hawaii; a great gift and privilege that he bestowed upon his children, Pat and her brother Leonard. Their father liked to say that when he was a boy, the highest structure in Honolulu was the coconut tree. Mr. Stanley was Senior Vice President and Director of First Hawaiian Bank. Prior to her marriage, Mrs. Stanley taught at Saint Andrew's Priory. They were wonderful parents who gave their children attention, love, and care, provided each with a good education and the ability to live productive lives. Leonard moved to Los Angles in 1951. Pat attended Hanahaouli School and then Punahou School until 1941, when with the advent of World War II, her father sent his wife and children to the mainland while he stayed behind to assist with the business of the Territory and the conduct of the war. She was sorry not to have graduated with her Punahou classmates but retained those friendships all of her life. She crossed the Pacific on the Lurline, newly requisitioned for use in the war effort, experiencing lock downs, blackouts, and battle drills during the five day crossing. The family went to Boulder, Colorado then moved to Palo Alto, California where Pat graduated from Castallea High School. She attended Scripps College, coming home for the holidays on the Lurline, by then spruced up and decked out after the war, on the "college cruise" with all her Hawaii friends who were also attending school on the mainland. She later studied interior design in New York. She worked for Alice Spaulding Bowen at Mrs. Bowen's shop at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Pat married Howard Lang, a former Hollywood director and a Honolulu businessman. They built a beautiful home in Kahala on the ocean with the renowned architect Bert Ives. Pat contributed many of the ideas for the home's design and directed the interior decoration and garden plan. Pat and Howard hosted many lavish parties at their home. They traveled frequently, and so Pat was able to meet and socialize with Howard's and her brother Leonard's interesting mainland friends. They had a happy life together. After Howard's passing, Pat met Robert E. Black. They enjoyed a close relationship and were fond friends. Bob was a special person and always remained dear to Pat. Eventually, Pat sold her Kahala home and moved to a retirement community in Carlsbad, California. But she missed the islands. She soon returned to live for the rest of her life at Diamond Head. Pat was a sustaining member and benefactor of the Honolulu Academy of Arts. She was a member of the Garden Club of Hawaii, the Garden Clubs of America, the Diamond Head Theater, and the Outrigger Canoe Club. Pat had a fine eye for beauty, especially in art and design. She loved plants and was adept at growing them. She played tennis, golfed, and continued to swim until just before her death. She was keenly interested in and lived a life of natural healing. She was socially gifted and loved to spend time with all of her family and her many friends. Pat was smart and forward thinking. She was an astute business woman. Pat was always well dressed and elegant in her attire. She had the gift of certainty. She envisioned a path for her life and followed it happily. Pat loved Hawaii. She always felt she was lucky to live at a time when Hawaii was at its best. It shaped her, heart and soul. She was truly a child of this land. Pat is survived by her brother, Leonard Stanley of Los Angeles, California. Pat's friends are invited to her memorial on Monday, November 19, 2018 at 4 o'clock p.m. at the Outrigger Canoe Club.
Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased