Yasuhide Tamashiro, also known as "Gil" or "Yasu", passed away peacefully on November 19, 2021. He was born and raised in Pulehu, Maui, along with his seven siblings. At the age of eighteen, he joined the U.S. Army and fought in the Korean War. He subsequently married Harue Mende and raised two daughters, Naomi and Lynn. After being stationed in Washington, Japan and Oklahoma, he was sent to Vietnam. He retired from the military as a Master Sergeant and worked for the U.S. Army as a civilian until 1989.Upon retirement, he became an active member of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association by volunteering at the Hawaii Okinawa Center, where he tended the grounds and orchid garden. Raising orchids quickly became a serious hobby which took over his own backyard and he entered many local orchid competitions.
Since 2015, he was cared for by the kind staff at The Plaza at Mililani and Precious Elderly Care.
He is remembered for his soft-spoken and kind-hearted nature, his hard work, and dedication to his family. While he is deeply missed by our family, "Pops" is especially missed by his granddaughters, Kaelyn Tanaka and Christina Fox. They cherish the memories of him sharing his sweets and blasting the Korean TV dramas, while wearing his classic green military jacket.
