Read about LACA’s newest directors: Rosalinda Degamo and Susana Reyes Sanchez. Their profiles have been included on the Leadership page, but also reprinted here for your convenience.
Rosalinda P. Degamo
Class of 1954
Rosalinda Pascua Degamo was born on August 27, 1936, in Hawi (Big Island). At the age of six she left the Big Island and moved to the island of Maui to live under the guardianship of her eldest sister, Carolina “Helen†(Calixto) Sonido in the small sugar plantation town of Pu’ukoli’i. At age 11 she then moved to the island of Lana’i where she entered the 6th grade in Lana’i High & Elementary School (LHES) until she graduated in 1954.
In 1956 she married Victor D. Degamo and had four children, Victor Jr. (1957), Juan (1960), Helinda (1963) and Calvin (1965). All of whom are LHES alumni. Through the 1970’s while raising her four young children through their formative and school years, she worked for Dole Company as a supervisor during the summer seasons and worked for the State of Hawai’i Department of Education’s TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) Program during the school year. However, when the TESL program had ended and discontinued, she took a position as a Teacher’s Aide and continued working for Dole in the summers and eventually became a regular supervisor until the pineapple industry of Lana’i phased out in the late 1980’s and ultimately retired in 1998 at age 62.
In the 1980’s she was the Lana’i Alumni Association contact person with the late Tommy Nunotani as president. Through collaborative planning with alumni on neighbor islands, Linda had a vital role in planning for the Lana’i High and Elementary School 50th Anniversary Celebration. In 1995, LACA evolved from the Lana’i Alumni Association. This year, she is one of the incoming LACA directors.
Currently, she is an active “kupuna†member in the Lana’i MEO (Maui Economic Opportunity) Program. In the program she enjoys playing the ukulele and dancing the hula where it has given her many opportunities to travel and entertain Senior and public events on Maui as well as locally on Lana’i with Hula Halau O Lana’i Ka’ula. In her spare time she enjoys cooking and baking and volunteering her time to help and aide her fellow senior cohorts at Hale Kupuna O Lana’i.
Susana Reyes Sanchez
Class of 1950
Susana graduated from Lana’i High School in 1950. The following year she got married in Honolulu to Max Kincaid, USN. Their three children are: Max Kincaid, Jr., Ramona Kincaid-Powell and Marina Longfellow.
The family moved to California in 1957 and lived in San Diego and later in Bakersfield. Sue was active in the PTA and was the elementary school photographer. In 1961 the family returned to Hawaii. When her daughters Ramona and Marina were in scouting, she volunteered for three years as a Brownie Leader.
After being discharged from the Navy, employment opportunity beckoned and the family moved to Midway for two years and to Subic Bay in the Philippines for seven years. Max Jr., went back to Lana’i after six months and attended Lana’i High School. When he graduated his parents and sisters attended the commencement ceremony. Ramona and Marina both graduated from George Dewey High School in Subic Bay.
In 1975 the Kincaid family returned to live in Honolulu. Four years later, Sue’s husband, Max, passed away. Sue attended Displaced Homemaker’s Class and learned how to cope with her loss and deal with living after losing her life partner.
Sue worked for the Coast Guard Exchange from 1981 to 1995 and got very proficient at liquor sales and in time managed the liquor department. She enjoyed assisting customers in estimating how much beer and liquor they needed for their functions or events. Of course, they never listened and always over bought and the overage was always brought back to the store. After 14 years at the Exchange she retired.
Sue is a member of the Lana’i Alumni and Community Association. She is one of the incoming directors and serves on the membership committee. During Tina Mendes’ administration she was the Vice President. Meetings were held at Farrington High School.
She attended the first LACA event in Las Vegas in 1996 with her brothers and their wives. Through the years, at the annual reunion held either at the California Hotel or Fremont Hotel, she was an essential volunteer for various tasks: being in charge of the hospitality suite, registration (checking off names and issuing name tags).
This has become an opportunity for the Sanchez family to host their own mini reunions. She lost two brothers within two years, Adolfo and Bonjoe. The surviving siblings and their families still attend the LACA Las Vegas events as they have done since the very beginning. They continue to enjoy connecting with all the Lanaians in attendance, having fun and sharing memories. So far, they haven’t missed a LACA Las Vegas Connection Reunion. Sue would like LACA members to realize that “buying a ticket does not insure a good time. It is up to us to make it fun.â€
Sue has returned to her roots and is once again a Lana’i resident. She derives much pleasure in actively participating in the senior programs.
