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With heartfelt sorrow, we bid Aloha 'Oe to Son, Brother, Husband, Dad and Grandpa, Stanley Tatsumi Nagatani. He will be truly missed. Born in Hawai'i, Stan was the second of two children born to Stanley Tatsuo Nagatani and Elizabeth Pilialoha Kum Yuk Pang. Raised in Kailua with his sister, Nyra Kuniko Williams Walker, he attended Kailua Elementary, Intermediate and High School, Class of 1962, after his mother married William Yuen Cook Chang.A counselor, educator and mentor, Stan was a consummate professional offering students conscientious support and encouragement. Working with Middle School families, he spent over thirty-five years as Vice Principal at Kamehameha Schools to make an impact with a clarity of vision and community ke ala pono. A member of the National Middle School Association, President and Board Member of the Hawaiian Association of Middle Schools and Board Member for the Pacific Education Foundations, Inc. (Hawaii Job Corps program), he devoted his life's work to the betterment of Hawaii's youth. Appreciated for his experience and expertise, Stan was honored with the inaugural Assistant Principal of the Year Award by the Hawaii Association of Secondary School Administration at the State Capitol in 2003.
Remembered as the neighborhood sportsman, he was skilled in football, bowling, softball, spear fishing and raquetball. Stan also earned a black belt in Judo and spent much of his youth studying at the American Judo & Jujitsu Institute, continuing in national shiai competitions throughout his collegiate years. Stan entered the Air Force in 1962, acting as a Communications Specialist through the Vietnam War. There, he led The Hickam Flyers football team as an All-Star Quarterback. Granted a football scholarship, he went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Colorado State University, as well as a Master's degree in Educational Psychology from Idaho State University. Fondly also called "Coach", Stan continued to work with track and football teams at Kailua, Farrington, Kaiser and Kamehameha.
Stan's life was centered around the blessings of the family he built. Recently sharing a golden anniversary with his best friend and wife, Mavis, he revelled in the memories of their global travels, and enjoyed sharing stories of his family across Canada. Stan celebrated the accomplishments of his children, Soni, Shane, and Sara, with pride. His love grew further through their marriages to their spouses, Gilbert Aldaco, Jessica Rocho, and John Mason, respectively, and most importantly, in his everlasting devotion for his grandchildren, Timber, Tydes and Aria. He spent one of his last days doing what he loved best - watching Colonel Shane Nagatani lead his fighter squadron through the skies of Hawai'i. Stan spent his life looking to the skies, so we know he will rest in peace now that he is home.
Please join us for a memorial service for Stan T. Nagatani on Monday, January 9, 2023, at Hawaiian Memorial Park, 45-425 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744. Public visitation begins at 9am, followed by a public service at 10am. Private burial to follow at Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery.
— E ke onaona noho i ka lipo, A ho'i a'e au —
