HARUTO OKADA

Born at Paahau, Hawaii, October 10, 1904, Haruto Okada was the son of Toshitaro and Itoyo (Besho) Okada. His early education was received in the schools of Honokaa and he then attended St. Louis College in Honolulu. On the suggestion of a friend, he went to Urbana, Illinois, where he completed his high school work at Urbana High School. Both his B.S. and his M.D. were received from the University of Illinois. From 1927-1928 Dr. Okada interned at Lutheran Deaconess Hospital at Chicago.

At the completion of his internship, he returned to Honokaa, Hawaii to begin a general practice that was to span some 56 years. During that time Dr. Okada served as a government physician for the South Kohala District and was the doctor at the Theo H. Davies plantations. He owned and managed the Okada Hospital at Honokaa.

On August 14, 1937, Dr. Okada married Miss Harue Morioka at Honokaa. A daughter, Esther Emiko, was born to Dr. and Mrs. Okada.

Inspite of a very active practice, Dr. Okada was a moving force in civic and community affairs. For three years he was examining physician for the Selective Service Board, was a member of the Planning and Traffic Commission, the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army, Medical Examiner for the Boy Scouts and served on the board of the Hamakua Development Corporation of Hawaii, which worked to stimulate local business. A lifetime charter member of the Hamakua Lions Club, Dr. Okada was also a member of the Hamakua Civic club, the Hamakua Country Club and belonged to the Hawaii County Medical Society (serving as president in 1958), the Hawaii Medical Association and the American Medical Association. One of his greatest pleasures was golf.

In 1982 Dr. Okada went into semiretirement and on December 11, 1983, he died at Honokaa at the age of 79. He is survived by wife, Harue; daughter, Esther; and a sister, Mrs. Yoshiko Nishimoto of Los Angeles.

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