Yew Char Dies;
Professional Photographer,
Veteran Legislator
Yew Char, 89, of 3636 [3816] Diamond Head Road, photographer, travel and tour organizer and former legislator, died Monday in Tripler Hospital. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at Nuuanu Memorial Park Mortuary. Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl. |
Friends may call after 10 a.m. Sunday. Mr. Char was born in Kohala, Hawaii. After attending Hawaii public schools, he was graduated from the Moder School of photography in Chicago in 1915. He returned to Honolulu to join his older brother, On Char, at Tiffany Studios. An exhibition of his photography is currently on display at Bishop Museum through May 1. In 1927, Mr. Char became the first person of Chinese ancestry to be elected to the Territorial Legislature, where he served eight terms. A pioneer in the tour industry, he founded Char Tour & Travel Service 49 years ago, living up to his motto "See the World Before You Leave It," by making 24 trips around the world. Mr. Char held U.S. patents on several toys, such as the toy beanbag. He is survived by two sons, Washington T. of Huntsville, Ala., and Lincoln S.; two daughters, Mrs. Henry (Virginia) Wong and Mrs. Alfred (Josephine) Chan of Floral Par, N.Y.; a brother, Ten Char of Makawao, Maui; two sisters, Mrs. James A. (Helen) Yuen and Mrs. Daniel Y. (Mabel) Wong; 14 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
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