Ramona Chiya, an artist who traveled the world as the wife of a Pan Am executive then created a successful T-shirt business, died on June 13 at her home in Honolulu surrounded by her sister Julie Chiya, son James Griffith and daughter Lesa Griffith. She was 78. She had been diagnosed with incurable stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer in 2019 and when breathing became extremely difficult, opted to use medical aid in dying.Following her death, messages from family and friends were filled with words like "remarkable," "inspiration," "style," "strength," and "resilience," creating a portrait of an independent woman who lived and died on her terms.
Born in 1943 to Ramon Nobuyoshi Chiya and Dorothy Miyoko Chiya (nee Matsuda), Ramona grew up in Manoa. She excelled at art from an early age and took classes at the then Honolulu Academy of Arts while attending Roosevelt High School. She also studied ballet, Spanish dance (with Tito Cezar) and appeared in productions such as Flower Drum Song. Her dance experience imbued her with an athleticism and grace she carried throughout her life.
In 1962 she married Dale Griffith. As a Pan American reservationist, he was tapped to join the company's Technical Assistance Program, a move that saw Ramona set up a household in Accra, Ghana, with two small children at the age of 25. She would do the same in Kinshasa, Zaire; Amman, Jordan; Jakarta, Indonesia; Hong Kong; and Manama, Bahrain, immersing herself and her family in local culture. Throughout this time, she practiced arts, becoming skilled in tie dye, batik, ceramics, macrame, and jewelry making.
In the 1980s, Ramona launched Sansei Hawaii, a line of hand-dyed, screenprinted T-shirts bearing designs based on Japanese family crests. She used cotton Chinese T-shirts she had discovered in Hong Kong. With her sister as partner, Sansei Hawaii would go on to also become T-shirt importer and wholesaler, the crisp garments popular with clients such as Sig Zane.
A practicing Buddhist, Ramona was active with Nichiren Mission Hawaii, where her mother had also been a member. In 2011, she went to Bhutan on a tour organized by a temple member, a trip that had a spiritual impact on her. Ramona later had a second career as the resident manager of her condo, successfully bringing her high standards to a whole new area. She kept busy with friends and family, adding her own brand of humor and joy to every gathering, though she insisted she was an introvert who enjoyed her own company.
Along with her sister and two children, Ramona is survived by brothers Melvin and James (Midori), daughter-in-law Eliette Griffith, grand- daughters Kiana and Kalea, and dog Pepito. Services are pending.
Arrangements Provided By: Hosoi Garden Mortuary
