95, passed away on February 24, 2020, 1 month shy of her 96th Birthday. She was born on March 24, 1924 in Waialua Oahu on the Waialua Sugar Plantation to Alfonso and Cozy Cruz.She was one of 10 children, the 3rd oldest in a very close-knit family: Alice, Gina, Margaret, Manuel (Sonny), Alfonso (Junior), John, George, Louis, Rita and Leroy. She loved growing up in Waialua, often sharing stories of life on a Sugar Plantation, the hard working people, the diversity of cultures and sharing between families, neighborhood camps and the spirit of community that happened there. She was always involved with everything: helping her Mom and older sisters, placed in charge of her younger siblings, learning traditions in cooking, baking, working on family projects, loved school especially music, sewing and athletics and often got involved with St. Michael Church's children bus field trips and pageants. She shared many stories of a simpler way of life where the meaning of family, church, helping each other and being in a community was important.
She went to Waialua High & during the war years accompanied her sister Gina & niece Sandra to Philadelphia while her brother-in-law David was in OCS school there. She lived in Philadelphia for 3 years, started a career in retail and had life-long friendships there. At the end of the war she traveled with her sister and niece back to Hawaii, stopping in California for 6 months enjoying time with her Uncle's wonderful family. She got back to Oahu in 1946, worked at a Dept Store in Downtown and was introduced to a wonderful man named David V. Capello by her sister Alice and brother-in-law George. They got married on October 24, 1947, started their family & moved from Kapahulu to Kailua in 1952.
A stay at home Mom, she was involved with St. Anthony's school, Church, Young Ladies Institute church group and busy family life. In April 1966, Ala Moana Shopping Center opened a Liberty House Store where she was hired to work in their China & Silver department. A natural saleswoman and leader, she worked her way from salesclerk to sales department manager of the China, Silver, Crystal and Linen departments. She had a wonderful 23 year career where she hired, trained and managed many employees in all 4 departments, set up major sales events & promotions like the Safari and Zooper Sales and worked closely with Department Buyers, while very involved with her family life and greatly loved by her employees.
She retired in 1989 and was involved with St. Anthony Church, the daily 6:00 am Rosary followed by the Mass. She volunteered for 25 years with the group counters, was involved with Church Food Drives, the annual YLI Easter Bake Sale where she was famous for her Coconut, Chocolate and Mandarin Orange Cakes. Margaret went with Church friends to Molokai, riding the mules to Kalaupapa, where she was profoundly moved to see the sacred grounds of Father Damien's settlement & Church. She loved her Church, loved God, the Blessed Mother and loved to pray for others. Margaret was called upon by many to intercede on their behalf because of her strength of prayer, a strong belief she learned from her mother and shared with her sisters. She would often say, "With God all things are possible. So pray!"
She and David loved to travel, taking many trips to the Mainland to visit family, Christmases in Oregon, reunions with her sisters, cruises to Alaska, Caribbean and Europe with her sister Alice & husband George. On a day trip of that European cruise, she and her sister made a pilgrimage to Medjugorje Yugoslavia, experiencing the profoundness of that holy site. Also loved Las Vegas: Margaret and her brother Louis first planned Cruz family reunions in Las Vegas and later Cruz/Navas family reunions where she coordinated family from HI, WI, VA, AZ, OR, WA and CA to stay at the Freemont Hotel with planned dinners and shows over the course of 19 years.
She loved her family and friends. She loved cooking, baking, making butter pickles and jams as gifts, soup for sick friends, sewing, home improvement projects with David, Christmas and all the decorations, working in the garden, family beach picnics, big family gatherings at the house with sing a-longs, loved her 23 year career with Liberty House and loved her relationship with God and Blessed Mother. Always remembered for her beautiful smile, laughter, wisdom and generous heart, her 95 + years on earth was a blessing to all of us.
Preceded in death by her husband David, she is survived by her son Steven, daughter Suzanne, hanai daughter Katie, grandson Patrick, her brother Alfonso Cruz (Emery), and her sister Rita Schafer (Harold).
Due to COVID19 Restrictions, a private Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Kailua. There will be no visitation. The mass service will be live streamed. You may email religioused@stanthonyskailua.org to obtain the link for the live streamed service, which starts at 10:45 a.m., followed by the 11:00 a.m. mass. Private inurnment to follow.
