Frances Shin Fukumitsu's Obituary
FRANCES S. FUKUMITSU 91, of Honolulu went to heaven peacefully surrounded by family on Sunday, January 4, 2026.
Frances embraced every moment of life with energy and purpose. As the matriarch of the Fukumitsu ohana, she guided her family with love and strength. She spent more than 20 years shaping young minds as an elementary school teacher, traveled the world as a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant, cared for countless children as a longtime babysitter, taught Sunday school with passion, and served faithfully as a missionary of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She remembered every name and carried the family’s genealogy in her heart. Frances never turned down a request for help - especially from her children and grandchildren, who could always count on her for a ride or a helping hand. She was a devoted grandmother who showed up for every academic, social, and sporting event. Her absence will be deeply felt by all who were blessed to know her, especially her children and grandchildren who loved her the most.
She is survived by her sons Glenn (Marina), Lance, Garner (Jennifer), and Garrett (Geila); ten grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and her siblings Judith Lee, Stanley Shin (Kathy), Clifford Shin (Aileen), and Sandra Dorsey.
Frances will be laid to rest with her beloved husband, Gary Fukumitsu, at the National Cemetery of the Pacific.
A private inurnment ceremony will be held with family.
“MY LIFE STORY” By: Frances Fukumitsu (12/1/2025)
I was born at St. Francis Hospital. I grew up in Palama and attended Ka’iulani Elementary School, later transferring to Robello Elementary. I am one of five siblings: my sister Judy is two years older than me, my brothers Stanley and Clifford are four and six years younger, and my youngest sister Sandra is eleven years younger.
I attended Kalākaua Middle School, followed by Roosevelt High School, which at the time was known as an English Standard school. After graduating, I went on to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, majoring in Home Economics. During my junior year, I began flying as a Hawaiian Airlines stewardess, a job I held for four years. I eventually completed five years at UH, earning my professional teaching certificate.
During my time at Hawaiian Airlines, I met the love of my life, Gary Fukumitsu. A friend once asked him to give me a ride home after bowling league. At first, I wasn’t interested until a plane cleaner asked if we were dating because he was “such a nice guy.” That comment sparked my interest, and the rest is history. Gary and I were married on December 21, 1957. We were blessed with four sons: Glenn, Lance, and our twins, Garner and Garrett.
An interesting memory from those years: before the tunnels were built, I used to travel to the Windward side for work, and Glenn even attended school with me while I taught. Our family loved to travel during the summers. One of our most memorable adventures was visiting the National Parks and Alaska. We even traveled beyond the Arctic Circle! We became experts at flying on standby.
In 1964, Gary and I bought our first home. We were among the very first families in the subdivision, and our house cost only $39,000 at the time. I taught at several elementary schools before settling at Nimitz Elementary School in 1968, where I remained for 20 years until retiring in 1988 - the same year our twin boys graduated from high school. Gary retired the following year.
My mother always reminded me to appreciate Gary, and she was right. He was a wonderful husband - able to fix, build, paint, clean, cook - truly everything. After retirement, I enjoyed going to the movies, and I faithfully kept up with all my medical appointments. I was at Kaiser so often that people thought I worked there!
I became a grandmother for the first time in 1998, beginning a 15-year babysitting career that brought me tremendous joy. Today, I have 10 grandchildren and in 2025, I welcomed my first great-grandchild.
In my 70s, I traveled widely with my grandchildren - to Japan, Korea, the Holy Land, Greece, Turkey, and Italy. I especially loved watching them play sports. In 2006, Gary went home to be with Jesus. I looked forward to seeing him again.
In my 80s, I was blessed to celebrate my 80th, 82nd, and 88th birthdays surrounded by loved ones. My faith has always been important to me. My grandmother, immigrated from Korea and was a devoted Christian. She made sure her grandchildren attended church at First Korean Methodist Church. When services grew long with both Korean and English sermons, many of us went looking for a new church home. That is when I began attending Kalihi Union Church, where I remained as a member for over 52 years.
My greatest desire is to see my family, friends and loved ones again in Heaven - accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior is all they’ll need to do. -A Hui Hou, Frances
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