Helen (Kaimilani) Bray was born in Honolulu on January 17, 1920 to David K. Bray & Lydia Dusson Bray. She was the 5th of 6 children & last to pass. She joins her husband of 61 years, James L. Wood, to watch over us. Interred at Fort Rosecrans Natl Cemetery, they will continue to enjoy their beloved view on the hill overlooking the San Diego Bay as they did from their nearby home for over half a century.
Helen enjoyed her childhood on a big family estate in Hana with a huge fish pond, facing the small island “Alau” surrounded by the ocean. She spent her days, swimming, catching fish with her bare hands, playing in the sugar cane fields, enjoying a simple life in paradise. Later, moving to Honolulu, she attended St Andrews Priory, a private all-girls college preparatory school.
Living in Honolulu, she embraced & became more involved with her family’s rich Hawaiian heritage; ancient spiritual & priestly traditions & their genuine faith in Hawaii’s destiny. Her father known as “Daddy” Bray (descended from a family, whose members had been Priests serving the kings for 25 generations) he studied the old Hawaiian ways & became a spiritual teacher & healer (a Kahuna Priest). Her mother (known as “Mama” Bray) was a direct descendent of the royal house of Kahekili, a famous king of Maui & father of King Kamehameha the Great. Throughout the 1920’s & 30s, David & Lydia taught classes in ancient religious practices, chant, hula, legends & language. In the following years through the 1950’s the entire Bray family became featured performers entertaining tourists & dignitaries with their luaus, dancing, singing, chants & meles.
After high school graduation, Helen went to work as a secretary in the Navy. When work was over, she enjoyed her Hawaiian group performances, dancing the hula and singing the songs she loved. During one such engagement she met her future husband James, who managed the Navy Officer’s Club in Pearl City during WWII.
After the war, Jim & Helen moved to San Diego where Jim continued a distinguished career in club management. Helen became a homemaker after their son Larry was born, followed by daughter Dianne 2.5 years later. Helen was very involved with raising her children and all their activities for many years. Helen went back to school to get her college degree (alongside Larry), both graduating from San Diego State in 1969/70. Dianne graduated from UCSB in 1970… Yikes! Don’t know how Dad did it with all 3 of us in college at the same time.
After traveling to Europe & Asia with her TWA stewardess daughter Dianne, Helen found a renewed passion for exploration, and became a travel agent. This enabled her & Jim to spend over 30 years, seeking adventure and traveling around the world. She also enjoyed arranging trips for her daughter & granddaughters to celebrate the female bond. Getting together with both Larry & Dianne & their extended families, over many years was very important to her. Her caring, vibrant & fun-loving nature made all these family gatherings very special & enjoyable!
While Helen loved to travel, she loved coming home & tending her garden which was full of tropical plants. She had many plumeria plants & wove the flowers into leis or floated them in water. She almost always had a gardenia blossom pined to her hair. Evenings found her & Jim sipping their cocktail on the porch watching the ships & sailboats entering & leaving the San Diego Bay. As night fell & the lights came on downtown, on Coronado & Mexico in the distance, they enjoyed a spectacular view!
Carrying on her family’s passion to help preserve the Hawaiian culture, she became a member of Hui O Hawaii of San Diego in 1969 & serving as president in 1981. Throughout the years she enjoyed friendship, socializing, learning to play the Ukulele, dancing the Hula on stage at events, making flower leis and feather hatbands. Her passion was to ensure that future generations would enjoy the Hawaiian culture, heritage & spirit of Aloha!
Helen is survived by her two children Larry & Dianne, grandchildren Lorna, David, Jennifer & Christen, in addition to 11 great grandchildren.
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