ASSOCIATION OF HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUBS
A RESOLUTION
NO. 2020 – 24
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF MERRIAM MATOOK OLDS
WHEREAS, Merriam Matook Olds was born on February 10, 1938 to Margaret and Moses Matook in Pasadena, CA, and although not of Hawaiian ancestry she went on to be a “Hawaiian at heart;” and
WHEREAS, Merriam graduated from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, attended the University of Southern California, and moved to Honolulu, Hawaiʻi; and
WHEREAS, Merriam’s strong work ethics persevered, she worked most of her life serving her community beginning with her selection to be the special assistant to Senator Daniel Inouye, the first senator elected from Hawaiʻi after statehood; and
WHEREAS, Merriam personally distinguished herself by being selected as the Cherry Blossom Princess representing Hawaii in the Washington, D.C. 1962 Cherry Blossom Festival that included 50 states; and
WHEREAS, Merriam held numerous prestigious positions such as executive assistant to the producer of the first Hawaii Five-O series, personal assistant to the producer of night club shows at the Hilton Hawaiian Tapa Room, and executive assistant to the Senior VP of Sales and Marketing for Hawaiian Airlines on the continent and in Hawaiʻi; and
WHEREAS, Merriam was the loving wife of William Olds, Colonel US Army, Retired, marrying him in 1979 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, and loving step-mother to Dr. Scott Olds, Duke Olds Lieutenant Colonel, US Army, Retired, Janeen Stack, Nalani Simpson, and a loving step-grandmother to eight step-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Merriam after accompanying her husband from Hawai’i to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, embarked on a new page in her life traveling to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates; and
WHEREAS, as the wife of a senior military diplomat, she played an active role representing the United States with local Arab communities; and
WHEREAS, her Lebanese heritage allowed her to easily adapt to Middle Eastern culture, travelling to Kuwait, Morocco, Bahrain, Europe, and Asia, and was involved in numerous community activities and as manager and buyer for the convenience store in the U.S. Embassy, Cairo, Egypt; and
WHEREAS, Merriam had many lifelong experiences which provided numerous opportunities for her to share her skills and talents with others, learning hula, striving to bring aloha to the members of the community, and fondly remembered for her kind generosity in sharing her talents and gifts of hard work, service, and accomplishment; and
WHEREAS, Merriam lived an amazing life with lots of love for others and will be deeply missed and loved by all who knew her, particularly members of the University of Hawaii Alumni Association, Friends of Las Vegas Chapter, Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club, Las Vegas Aloha Lions Club, the Las Vegas Crafters Guild, and the numerous members of the Hawaiian community in Hawaiʻi and Nevada whom she touched deeply with her love.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs at its 61st Annual Convention held online, in the malama of Makali‘i and the rising of ‘Olekūkolu, this 22nd day of November 2020, celebrating the life of Merriam Matook Olds; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted to her husband William Olds, the University of Hawai’i Alumni Association Friends of Las Vegas Chapter, the Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club, Na Lei Makalapua (Mainland Council), the Governor of the State of Nevada, President of the Nevada State Senate, Speaker of the Nevada State House of Representatives, Speaker of the Nevada State Assembly, Chair of the Asian American Pacific Islanders National Committee, Chair of the Clark County Asian American Pacific Islanders Community Commission, the Mayor of Las Vegas, the Mayor of Henderson, the Mayor of North Las Vegas, as well as the Governor of the State of Hawai‘i, President of the State Senate, Speaker of the State House of Representatives, Chair of the State Senate subject matter committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the State House subject matter committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and all County Mayors in the State of Hawai‘i.
The undersigned herby certifies that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted in the malama of Makaliʻi and the rising of ʻOlekūkolu on the 22nd day of November 2020, at the 61st Annual Convention of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs held online.
Hailama V.K.K. Farden, President
