Ruby Sachie Miyamoto

This photo was taken at the old Willows restaurant in Moili'ili, in 2015. Ruby often took us to eat here when we visited home because she knew we all missed eating Hawaiian food in the Mainland. Pictured from left to right, Lisa Iwamoto-Yasuda, Terri Iwamoto-Wong, Dylan McKinney, Shelby Wong, Shelley Iwamoto McKinney, Sophie McKinney, and Ruby.

"Aunty" Ruby was my mom's first cousin--our mothers were sisters. Ruby spoke fluent Japanese and was a career flight attendant for Pan Am and later United Airlines. I remember visiting her at her apartment in Waikiki, and thinking how glamorous she was. Even later in life, she always kept up her appearance. About thirteen years ago, when my daughter was four, Aunty Ruby took us to Tokyo. Although we moved to San Diego soon after that, we kept in touch over the years. She enjoyed seeing my...