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Stanley Kiyoshi Togikawa was born in Kapa`a, Kauai, on April 2, 1932, and died in Honolulu on March 6, 2020, after a lengthy illness.A graduate of Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, Stanley attended Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he earned a B.S. in International Trade, and an M.B.A. in Marketing. After a stint in the U.S. Army, he furthered his education by attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX, attaining a Master's degree in Religious Education. He served on staff at University Avenue Baptist Church, Olivet Baptist Church, Hawai`i Baptist Academy, and the Hawai`i Pacific Baptist Convention. While at Olivet Baptist Church, he worked with one of its members, Hilda Shiraki, and the Rev. Dan Kong to establish what was to become the Shiraki Memorial Foundation. Under Stanley's guidance and advice, the foundation has provided financial support over the years to over a thousand students locally and on the mainland, and funds Christian ministries globally.
Upon his retirement, Stanley continued to actively partner with fellow Rotarians and Christian missionaries in order to meet the medical, dental, and educational needs of people around the world. These connections helped provide financial assistance to many orphanages, as well as bicycles, wheelchairs, and medical equipment to persons in need. He also was a supporter of programs providing assistance to formerly incarcerated women in Hawai`i reentering society and the work force. After the death of his friend, "Sully" Sullivan, Stanley took on the role of president of the Hawai`i Rotary Youth Foundation, overseeing the distribution of funding to enhance educational opportunities for graduating high school students. He also enjoyed attending sports events with friends, and was an active member of the UH Na Koa Football Club.
While visiting American Samoa in 2001, Stanley was part of a team which heard about horrible living conditions and food shortages for some 300 abandoned Chinese and Vietnamese factory workers. Women and some men from China and Vietnam had been lured to American Samoa to work in the Daewoosa garment factory, being promised more than ten times what they could make at home. But according to the manager of the company, they incurred thousands of dollars in debt to the company, placing them and their families in jeopardy if the debts were not repaid. As head of business services and church support, Stanley immediately sought funds from the Hawai`i Pacific Baptist Convention to feed and arrange medical care for these abused workers. Almost two hundred workers agreed to come to the United States to assist in prosecuting the owners of the garment factory. The HPBC and Shiraki Memorial Foundation, with Stanley Togikawa leading, agreed to sponsor twenty-one workers in Hawai`i. In a rare and significant gesture, Stanley was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Office for Victims of Crimes of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Stanley also received the R.L. Scarborough Award from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the McCullough Award from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (now Gateway Seminary). In 2014, he received the Distinguished Service to Community Award from the Hawai`i Baptist Academy. He served as President of the Rotary Club of Ala Moana, and was named a Paul Harris Fellow, as well as a Maurice Sullivan Fellow.
As a person of integrity, business acumen, and renown organizational skills, Stanley had a reputation for "getting the job done" as an honest and fair man. Stanley partnered with others, combining resources and talents to create opportunities and better living conditions for thousands of people across the globe and in Hawai`i. He genuinely made a difference. He is also remembered for his loyalty and the simple ways he cared for those in his own circle of family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Joan Togikawa; brother, Richard Togikawa; and nieces and nephews.
In lieu of a live memorial service, an online video may be accessed at https://vimeo.com/560221488. Donations in memory of Stanley may be sent to the Rotary Club of Ala Moana, the Olivet Baptist Church, and/or The Shiraki Memorial Foundation.
Arrangements Provided By: Diamond Head Mortuary Chapel
