Mary Kay (Katherine) Yamaguchi French was born in Seattle on May 13 th, 1952 to Nori (Hoshiko) and Jimmie Yamaguchi. She was the sandwich child between two brothers, Bob and Fred. As one of the few native Seattleites, she had childhood memories of taking Fred on a bus downtown to Woolworths for ice cream and a movie. She loved dance and music which grew when she was in cheer squad at Cleveland High. While at community college she was recruited by Seattle First National Bank where she worked many years ending as a VP in Human Resources.
When she joined her parents in the early 1970’s on their golf trip to Hawaii, she fell in love with that culture and that love carried through her whole life. Even in her final days, the one thing that would grab her attention and keep it was to watch YouTube videos of hula. She had boundless energy and after she received her teacher’s certificate, she taught Hula adding in recitals for her students and their families, many lu’au, competitions here and in Hawaii, and represented our State at Expo 86 in Vancouver, BC. (Please see the tribute by one of her students below).
She met Larry who worked with her Mom at a waterfront restaurant, the Polynesia. They began dating in 1975 and were married in 1977. Yes the honeymoon was on Maui and Oahu. They had their first son, BJ, in 1979, and she loved being a stay-at-home Mom. Adam was born in 1983 and life got very busy – preschool, soccer, t-ball, carpools, Sunday school, PTA, high school boosters club and lots of dinners with family. She also was constantly cooking for the boys’ friends who sometimes would arrive just to talk to her – and have some food too.
In the mid-1990’s she and Larry started Team Seattle which over 10 years took over 500 youth soccer players to Europe for tournament and friendly play, and lots of cultural immersion. She loved the people and did an amazing job of organizing the tours some of which had over 120 players and family members. “No Whiners and No Prima Donnas, but a World of Fun” was the motto. She’d pick up recipes from every country and put many of them in the book she wrote with Larry, “Youth Group Travel, A Planner’s Guide”. It sold over 2,000 copies. The sports touring was noticed, and with introductions, NIKE and later Manchester United engaged them in organizing elite youth tournaments with destinations like Hong Kong and England.
As her boys were getting too old for youth soccer tournaments, she and Larry started Culinary Tours International and took adult and college chef groups to Spain, France and Italy for culinary touring and education. She was in heaven learning all the nuances of different cuisines.
As the boys got older, Mary Kay took a job as office manager for a chiropractic office in downtown Seattle, then later became the medical records manager for the North Clinic of Public Health Seattle and King County. She loved numbers and loved all the people she met. She retired from there in 2010 when she was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia. Her neurologist told her that within 10 years she would lose her communication abilities – speaking, writing, reading and listening. She did not let this stop her life at that time and made a bucket list with Larry – trip ideas, organizing her hula folders to pass on, gathering her recipes, and spending time with family and friends. During the following years Mary Kay participated in a study group at the University of Washington’s Speech and Hearing Clinic. That opportunity was a huge resource for our entire family as it offered her a chance to see others with her challenges and offered her family a chance to see how other families were coping. She was deeply grateful to their staff and grad students.
Before moving into Pacifica Senior Living Lynnwood in the fall of 2018, she had a support care-giver, Brandy, four days a week which was a gift from heaven for her and for the family. That extra support was invaluable.
In 2010 the family bought the Zillah Villa near Yakima in Washington Wine Country. She made so many wonderful friends there and loved nothing more than cooking for the group. In 2011 downsizing was encouraged and the Lake Forest Park house was sold. In 2012 the townhouse was completed and she and Larry moved into Monterra on her birthday weekend followed a week later by moving her Mom and Day to a nearby Merrill Gardens. And she orchestrated both moves – of course.
She and Larry have been blessed to know so many wonderful people many of whom made some of her bucket list possible. 5 cruises were some of the highlights. When her passing was shared the family realized how many people she had touched from around the world – Hong Kong, Bali, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy, the UK, all over the US and of course Hawaii.
It filled her heart with joy to see both sons marry such amazing women (BJ with Maria, and Adam with Kim), and to meet her four grandchildren (Olivia 9, Kayla 9, Evvy 5 and Miles 3).
Mary Kay was at Pacifica with her 101 year old Mother, Nori, when she passed away on April 28th, 2021 surrounded by family. The family was grateful that all live nearby and that the caregivers at Pacifica had given such extraordinary care to her during her last couple years.
Mary Kay is survived by her husband, Larry, and as mentioned above 2 wonderful sons and their wives (BJ & Maria – Olivia and Kayla; Adam & Kim – Evvy and Miles); her mother, Nori; brothers Bob(Patti) and Fred, many nieces and nephews, and lots of cousins who have all be a huge support during her long ordeal.
A celebration of Mary Kay’s joyous life will be held at Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Bellevue on Sunday, July 25th, 2021 at 1:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her name to the University of Washington's Speech and Hearing Clinic would be appreciated at the link below as would your donation to any of your charities.
https://sphsc.washington.edu/support
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Thank you Kumu Krista for this warm remembrance. We are so pleased that you are passing on Mary Kay’s love of hula to our grandchildren. Olivia and Kayla have enjoyed their classes with you over the past several years, and now Evvy will start in the fall. Miles just might be in the mix next.
Mary Kay Kealohilani French was a student of Auntie Marge Lehualani Hunt and devoted countless hours devoting herself to learning Hula, Chants, Hawaiian Language and Hawaiian Cultural Craft and she earned Auntie Margeʻs blessing to start her own hālau in the 70ʻs.
I was a student of Mary Kay for about a decade starting in the mid 80ʻs and she was such a strong influence on how I grew into my adulthood with all things Hula.
Mary Kay was the kind of Kumu who was a strict disciplinarian with a no-nonsense style coupled with a wonderful sense of humor and a smile that lit up the room. I was always amazed with the way she could chant a million songs, danced so beautifully and the way she organized a thousand luʻau and made it all look effortless. Also I have never had a haupia cake like the ones she used to make - so good!!!
She closed her hālau in the mid 1990ʻs to pursue other paths with her husband Larry French who has been such an amazing life partner to his wife and so devoted to her care, and while I was sad to see her quit teaching I can look back and am grateful for the time they had together without hālau responsibilities.
For the past decade and a half she battled a debilitating disease that took her speech and motor skills. Mary Kay passed away peacefully last night surrounded by her ʻohana.
I want to mahalo Mary Kay for sharing Hula with me, without her our hālau would not be. I want to mahalo Larry and their two sons Adam and BJ for sharing her with all of us who had the privilege of learning from her at the Lei Aloha Studio.
Hula O Lehualani will continue to honor the lineage of Auntie Marge, Mary Kay and our last living matriarch Robyn Lehua Ford through each and every one of you.
Rest in aloha, Kumu.
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