A Maluhia Wedding

On August 17th, 2003 the Maui Island Soaring Organization held it’s annual Summer Fun Fly at beautiful Camp Maluhia overlooking the north-east coastline of West Maui. This very important contest, one of the four “seasonals” that make up the scoring for the two perpetual trophies awarded annually, was made even more special when M.I.S.O.’s own Tom Nakagawa married Alice Livermore during the contest.

Thomas M. Nakagawa was born in Paia, Maui, the descendent of immigrants from Japan. His father was a Scout Master with the Boy Scouts of America and Tom is an Eagle Scout. He is such a nice guy and so helpful that someone once commented that he still behaved like an Eagle Scout. His response was, “I still am one. I never resigned.” He grew up in Haiku in the Libby McNeil & Libby pineapple plantation camp before going off to serve his Uncle Sam in the U.S. Navy from 1961 to 1965. He was stationed aboard the U.S.S. John Paul Jones (DD-932), a destroyer and he served as an Electronic Technician. Living back in Haiku, Tom currently works for the Boeing Corporation at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex on the top of Haleakala. He is one of the telescope operators and has the privilege and responsibility of tending to A.E.O.S. (Advanced Electro-Optical System) the most advanced optical telescope in the world.

Alice Christine Livermore was born in Chicago, Illinois and lived there until she was 16 then moved to California. She’s lived mostly in California except for a short time when she moved back to Chicago. Before marrying Tom, she had been living in San Pedro, California. She worked as a Senior Photo Lithographer working in the optics depart at the Northrop Aircraft Research Facility in Palos Verdes, California. Today, Alice is retired but still pursuing her art, working in various media including oil paints, paper mache and clay. She makes some very beautiful flowers and is passing on her knowledge by teaching others.

The couple first met about twenty years ago when Alice was dating a fellow named Art from O’ahu. Tom had worked with Art at AiResearch Mfg. in Torrance. About six years ago, Art and his bride-to-be came to Maui to be married here and Alice came along to attend. After Tom and his (then) lady went their separate ways, he and Alice began corresponding. When Alice’s long-time companion Chihuahua passed away of old age, she was heartbroken. Tom invited her to come to Maui. Maui’s natural climate for spiritual healing and Tom’s genuine caring and good nature soon had her all fixed up…and in love. Not just with Maui but with our Tom.

Tom and Alice spend time together enjoying the undersea world, snorkeling the shores of our island paradise and marveling at the beauty that so many of us take quite for granted. Alice also spends a lot of time with Tom at the flying field where she works on her painting or sculpting while Tom is flying his gliders. Tom says, “Maluhia was a special place for me as a Boy Scout in the 1950's. Camp Maluhia and the fellowship of the Scouts. Honor the land, and nature. Folks ask if I was a Boy Scout, I tell them that I am still a scout, and Eagle Scout.” They like the solitude, the quiet (only ten minutes drive from the biggest town on the island) and the glorious scenery that is Maluhia. It was these memories and the serene beauty of Maluhia that convinced them both that this should be the place for them to be joined in wedlock.

The pastor was Tom’s life-long friend Russell Mau, who Tom knows from elementary school. Standing up for Tom as Best Man was his Maui High friend and flying buddy Wayne Sakamoto.

Another Maui High classmate to make an appearance was Roberta Tanner-Cagasan who danced a very lovely hula for the couple. Penny Cabral, one of Alice’s met-on-Maui close friends, was Matron of Honor. The rest of M.I.S.O., friends from M.S.S.C. and relatives of the couple all like to think of ourselves as the brides-maids and groomsmen.

The wedding was to follow the contest but due to a late start, some people were not quite done in time. So the contest was stopped (is this A.M.A. legal?) for the wedding ceremony. In checking the score sheets, we determined that the only one who had not finished flying all his flights was the groom! Tom had one more flight to make. So we let him finish his fifth window flight over the numerous protests that the A.M.A. specifically banned changes in marital status in the middle of a contest. “If you start out a bachelor, you must finish a bachelor” seemed the general consensus. The C.D., however, ruled that Tom could fly his last round and we would send the protest to the A.M.A. rules committee for a final decision. Tom finished in sixth place. Good job for the first flight of his new life as a married man.