Doris Fukuda Crowell

This speech was a Tribute from the Hawaii State Retired Teachers Association on February 25, 2003 in presenting their Outstanding Volunteer Award to Doris Fukuda Crowell

"Intelligent, knowledgeable, and articulate, Mrs. Doris Crowell has always been a strong advocate of Public Education.  A teacher of good standing and outstanding professionalism, Doris was a teacher for 30+ years – beginning in 1941 and retiring in 1976.

Upon her retirement she continued to uphold her teaching profession by getting involved with issues concerning Hawaii State Retired Teachers such as our pension funds, bonuses, socio-economic political and educational matters. She served as Vice-President for her chapter unit KRTA in 1979-81, 1985-86, and 1995-96.

A charter member of the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society, ETA Chapter since 1961, and serving as president in 1966-68, Doris in her retirement years has continued to support the goals and activities of her ETA sisters: like herself, professional women educators. Doris has been a mentor to many of her former students who today are classroom teachers and administrators.

Besides her outstanding voluntary contributions to her professional organizations, Doris for many years served in the Management Advisory Committee for Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital (KVMH). This committee helped to maintain services for KVMH for West Kauai as well as to oversee the needs of KVMH through legislative funding.

Volunteering her services to the Alu Like Kupuna Program in Waimea has been a rewarding experience. It is here that she finds great personal satisfaction reaching out to so many who yearn for companionship; a place to socialize – talk story; a place to learn – singing, doing crafts, keeping physically fit, etc. Meeting 3 times a week, the kupuna group also does an outreach program at the Kauai Care Center in Waimea. Doris is a part of this ministry, rehearsing for these monthly visitations.

In spite of her busy week, Doris, a member of the Waimea United Church of Christ, participates in church activities and enjoys helping out once a month at the “rummage sale.”

A widow for 10 years, her husband George I. Crowell retired as a Deputy Chief for the Kauai Police Dept., Doris is spending quality Pau-Hana years with her four sons and their families. Her greatest reward is watching her 8 grandchildren “grow up.”

Born: Nov 08, 1919 in Waimea, Kauai, HI

Died: Aug 20, 2012 in Goodyear, AZ