Inspire 2024 ANNUAL DONOR REPORT

HPH: A Gift That Touches Generations

“You celebrate a person’s life by remembering they are still with you. I celebrate my parents’ lives every day.”
Joanne Abe, on creating an endowment in memory of her parents

Joanne Abe, in 2017, proudly displaying the plaque in memory of her parents at an endowment ceremony in their honor at Pali Momi. 

For Joanne Abe, giving to Pali Momi Medical Center was a family affair from the day the hospital opened. Her parents, Robert and Janet, were among Pali Momi’s 12 original volunteers and remained dedicated to the work for 20 years.

When Robert wasn’t giving hospital tours, he was escorting patients to surgeries. Janet helped run the gift shop. When their daughter retired from teaching, one of the first things Joanne did was sign up to become a Pali Momi volunteer. She spent most of her time manning the hospital’s information desk, ensuring people were never lost or felt alone. The interactions she had with patients, families and Pali Momi staff inspired her to become a regular donor to the Pali Momi Foundation.

Joanne eventually created an endowment in memory of her parents to benefit volunteer services and cancer care at Pali Momi. She marveled at how her parents prioritized family life while also being strong role models for their work ethic and volunteer service. All this, while her father balanced two jobs to make ends meet.

“They always sacrificed their needs for others,” Joanne said at the ceremony for the endowment in 2017. “I know their spirit continues here. You celebrate a person’s life by remembering they are still with you. I celebrate my parents’ lives every day.”

Joanne’s philanthropic giving continued at every level and often. She contributed in honor of Pali Momi’s 25th anniversary and to the Dr. James T. Kakuda Cancer Center. Her biggest gift came after she passed away in 2024. Joanne left a significant part of her estate to Pali Momi and made the medical center the beneficiary of her annuity and insurance policy.

Joanne came from humble beginnings. She lived a simple but meaningful life, epitomized by the way she ended every email: “Breathe easy and often.” Joanne constantly celebrated life and her parents’ lives, and her legacy of giving at Pali Momi will allow generations of families like hers to do the same.

If you are interested in making a lasting impact by joining our legacy society at any of Hawaii Pacific Health’s medical centers, call 808-535-7100 or visit Give2HPH.org/Make-A-Gift/Overview.