Lisa Naito, a former state representative and community advocate, died Sunday in Kailua. She was 76.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Naito travelled to Paris as a newspaper correspondent and toured numerous countries as a jazz singer with her band, the New Yorkers.
She came to Hawaii in 1964 as a crew member aboard a yacht named Neophyte, captained by a San Francisco steeplejack named Lee Quinn. The voyage garnered publicity because of the all-girl crew helping Quinn sail around the world. Naito sailed the leg from Fiji to Hawaii in 1964, according to her daughter, Lori Yrizarry.
In 1974 she was elected state representative of the Kaimuki-Kapahulu district and re-elected in 1976.
"Lisa was smart, principled and could be very tough on issues she felt strong about," former Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano said in an email.
Yrizarry said her mother entered politics to help others.
"She had a strong passion for the underdog, for justice and for helping people who couldn’t help themselves," she said.
After politics Naito worked as a state social worker and volunteered with several community organizations, including the Hawaii Death with Dignity Society. Scott Foster, co-founder of the organization, said Naito was a gracious and gentle woman with an incredible mind.
"She believed that people should have a choice if they find themselves in circumstances of intractable pain," he said. "Lisa was most concerned, I think, with the quality of life."
In addition to Yrizarry, Naito is survived by sons Clay Naito and Yonatan Bar Rashi, and four grandchildren. Visitation is 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Mililani Mortuary makai chapel with a memorial service at 6:30 p.m. Aloha attire and flowers are welcome.
