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Dianne Fife Kay, a major advocate and contributor to Hawaiian arts and public policy, died at the age of 88 on July 13, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii, with family by her side. Dianne was born on May 25, 1931, the oldest of three daughters of Samuel Stewart and Norma Smith Fife. She was raised in Los Angeles, California where she was trained and received accolades as an artist, dancer, violinist, actor and writer. She graduated from the University of Utah where she met her husband from Honolulu, H. Thomas "Tom" Kay, Jr., a 5th generation descendant of early Hawaii missionary couples Amos Starr and Juliette Montague Cooke, and William Harrison and Mary Sophia Rice. Dianne and Tom were married on June 6, 1952, and recently celebrated their 67th Anniversary. Following Tom's completion of law school at UCLA, service in the Air Force JAG, and clerkship with the Tax Court in Washington D.C., they returned to Honolulu in 1962, where they raised their four daughters and Dianne became involved in public service. She was a docent at the Honolulu Academy of Arts; chair of Hawaii Opera Theater; a member of the boards of directors of the Honolulu Symphony Society, the Hawaii Ballet Foundation and Parent Teachers Association; on the steering committee of the Mayor's Historic Buildings Task Force; and was President of the Hawaii chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Dianne was also a member of the Junior League of Honolulu and with their Children's Theater program performed plays in elementary schools all over the Hawaiian Islands. She was also a member of the Hawaii Council for Culture and the Arts, American Choral Directors Association, Hawaii Watercolor and Serigraph Society and was a founding member of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C. Dianne also was a talented artist, and her art was accepted and awarded prizes in many juried art shows. In the 1970's Dianne began graduate work at the University of Hawaii. She received both a master's and a Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii in American Studies, and her dissertation was a seminal work on contemporary Hawaiian carvers. Dianne became an eloquent and impassioned defender of both the rights of women and supporting and defending families, frequently testifying before the Hawaii legislature as a founding member of Hana Pono, an organization formed to serve as an educational forum and source of information in areas of concern affecting the welfare of women, the family and the community. She was elected as a Hawaii delegate to the 1977 International Women's Year (IWY) National Conference in Houston, and was a delegate to the Hawaii State Republican Convention for numerous years. Dianne's community service expanded internationally when her husband Tom began working as General Counsel of the Pacific Area for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the late 1970s. Over the next 20 years they lived in Australia, South Africa and Germany as Tom's general counsel church legal work was extended to different areas such as the African continent and Eastern Europe. Dianne actively served her community wherever she lived, encouraging emergency preparedness in Sydney, setting up a library for disadvantaged children and establishing gardens to grow produce for malnourished children in in the township of Alexandra, South Africa. Her continual acts of service sparked other good people to take action, and the result made a difference in the lives of many. Following Tom's retirement from legal service they served as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Amman, Jordan. Upon returning to their home in Honolulu in 2000, Dianne became heavily involved in public policy to stop legalized gambling in Hawaii through the Hawaii Coalition Against Legalized Gambling (HCALG). She served as president of this organization until her death. Dianne lived a life of joyful, selfless service, and she used her talents, intellect, and ability to do all she could to make the world a better place. Her family will miss her greatly in this life, but know they are an eternal family and will be with her again in the next life. Dianne is survived by her husband, Harold Thomas "Tom" Kay, Jr.; four daughters: Kimberly (John) Roeder, Robin (Jay) Deverich, Candace (Phil) Andersen, and Melinda (Collin) Beecroft; sixteen grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; sisters: Nancy (Doug) Warren and Susan (Ralph) Tiffany. Services will be held on Monday, July 22, 2019. Viewing: 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.; Funeral Service: 10:00 a.m. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kahala Ward, 4847 Kilauea Ave., Honolulu, Hawaii 96816. Aloha attire.
Dianne Fife Kay, a major advocate and contributor to Hawaiian arts and public policy, died at the age of 88 on July 13, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii, with family by her side. Dianne was born on May 25, 1931, the oldest of three daughters of Samuel Stewart and Norma Smith Fife. She was raised in Los Angeles, California where she was trained and received accolades as an artist, dancer, violinist, actor and writer. She graduated from the University of Utah where she met her husband from Honolulu, H. Thomas "Tom" Kay, Jr., a 5th generation descendant of early Hawaii missionary couples Amos Starr and Juliette Montague Cooke, and William Harrison and Mary Sophia Rice. Dianne and Tom were married on June 6, 1952, and recently celebrated their 67th Anniversary. Following Tom's completion of law school at UCLA, service in the Air Force JAG, and clerkship with the Tax Court in Washington D.C., they returned to Honolulu in 1962, where they raised their four daughters and Dianne became involved in public service. She was a docent at the Honolulu Academy of Arts; chair of Hawaii Opera Theater; a member of the boards of directors of the Honolulu Symphony Society, the Hawaii Ballet Foundation and Parent Teachers Association; on the steering committee of the Mayor's Historic Buildings Task Force; and was President of the Hawaii chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Dianne was also a member of the Junior League of Honolulu and with their Children's Theater program performed plays in elementary schools all over the Hawaiian Islands. She was also a member of the Hawaii Council for Culture and the Arts, American Choral Directors Association, Hawaii Watercolor and Serigraph Society and was a founding member of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C. Dianne also was a talented artist, and her art was accepted and awarded prizes in many juried art shows. In the 1970's Dianne began graduate work at the University of Hawaii. She received both a master's and a Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii in American Studies, and her dissertation was a seminal work on contemporary Hawaiian carvers. Dianne became an eloquent and impassioned defender of both the rights of women and supporting and defending families, frequently testifying before the Hawaii legislature as a founding member of Hana Pono, an organization formed to serve as an educational forum and source of information in areas of concern affecting the welfare of women, the family and the community. She was elected as a Hawaii delegate to the 1977 International Women's Year (IWY) National Conference in Houston, and was a delegate to the Hawaii State Republican Convention for numerous years. Dianne's community service expanded internationally when her husband Tom began working as General Counsel of the Pacific Area for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the late 1970s. Over the next 20 years they lived in Australia, South Africa and Germany as Tom's general counsel church legal work was extended to different areas such as the African continent and Eastern Europe. Dianne actively served her community wherever she lived, encouraging emergency preparedness in Sydney, setting up a library for disadvantaged children and establishing gardens to grow produce for malnourished children in in the township of Alexandra, South Africa. Her continual acts of service sparked other good people to take action, and the result made a difference in the lives of many. Following Tom's retirement from legal service they served as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Amman, Jordan. Upon returning to their home in Honolulu in 2000, Dianne became heavily involved in public policy to stop legalized gambling in Hawaii through the Hawaii Coalition Against Legalized Gambling (HCALG). She served as president of this organization until her death. Dianne lived a life of joyful, selfless service, and she used her talents, intellect, and ability to do all she could to make the world a better place. Her family will miss her greatly in this life, but know they are an eternal family and will be with her again in the next life. Dianne is survived by her husband, Harold Thomas "Tom" Kay, Jr.; four daughters: Kimberly (John) Roeder, Robin (Jay) Deverich, Candace (Phil) Andersen, and Melinda (Collin) Beecroft; sixteen grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; sisters: Nancy (Doug) Warren and Susan (Ralph) Tiffany. Services will be held on Monday, July 22, 2019. Viewing: 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.; Funeral Service: 10:00 a.m. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kahala Ward, 4847 Kilauea Ave., Honolulu, Hawaii 96816. Aloha attire.
Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased
