Costar, Katheine Akana

Katherine Costar, 88, passed away peacefully at her 
home in Reno on Thursday, March 18, 2010 after a 
long and courageous battle with cancer. She was born 
in Koloa Town on Kauai, HI, on June 20, 1921 to Tillie 
and Nicholas Akana. 

Katherine lived two exciting and eventful lives. Her 
first life in Hawaii, living in Paradise and married to a 
wonderful man, Kenneth Chu, she bore two beautiful 
children; Kathleen Pualani Janusz, of Reno, and 
Nicholas Franklin Chu, of Beaumont, TX. 

Her second life began with Donald Costar, in Reno, 
after the death of Kenneth, who also succumbed to 
cancer, at age 59. Katherine spent many happy hours at 
poker tables in Reno; her longtime passion. It was her 
way of meeting people and making new friends. In her 
first life she was an entertainer, singing and dancing 
hula style with a dance band. She was also a 
Hostess/Greeter at the Coco Palms Resort Hotel on 
Kauai. She never lost her easy skills at charming 
strangers and preparing scrumptious meals, both 
Oriental and "Haole" style. And in her second life she 
became a skilled placer gold panner, Truckee River 
fisherman, and even a crab fisherman and clam digger 
in Oregon. 

Katherine's surviving family consists of her husband 
Donald, her daughter Pua Janusz, her son Nick Chu, her 
sister Mary Ann Bender, seven grandchildren and nine 
great grandchildren. Many nieces, nephews and close 
friends were also saddened by the passing of this great 
and classy lady. 

When Katherine learned of her latest diagnosis # un- 
treatable cancer, her response was "Well, I've had a 
helluva ride!!" That pretty much says it all about how 
Katherine faced life. 

There will be no services or requests for donations. 
Just do something nice for someone you love # the 
way Katherine would. 

Published in Reno Gazette-Journal on March 24, 2010