Nancy Rae Kahakauwila

Nancy Rae Kahakauwila was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. For the past 18 months she had been determinedly battling lymphoma. Her passing on December 14, 2022, from complications due to pneumonia, was unexpected. Her survivors include husband David, daughter Tiana, and sister Beverly Kelly. Her other sister, Betty Wentz, predeceased her.

Nancy was born to Leonard and Clara Loy on November 20, 1945. She attended Narbonne High School in Lomita, where she formed a close group of lifelong friends. At age sixteen she was an AFS exchange student to Finland, a trip that would plant the seeds for a multi-generational friendship with her host family.

Nancy’s career spanned more than forty years. She was a high school teacher in the Anaheim School District and a speech pathologist who worked in rehabilitation settings throughout Long Beach. She was also dedicated to community service and social justice, whether serving on Long Beach City’s Cultural Heritage Commission or with People for Palestinian-Israeli Justice.

Nancy and David were married in 1977. Family held a central place in their lives. For many years, Sundays were spent in Lomita at Nancy’s parents’ house or, later, her sisters’ homes. Holidays often meant a plane ride to Maui, where David’s family still resides. But their greatest joy was growing a family of their own, first with their daughter Tiana and, more recently, with their son-in-law and beloved granddaughter.

A funeral service is scheduled for 2:00pm PST on January 5, 2023, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Long Beach, where Nancy was a longtime member.