Remembering Mark Lee
July 16th, 2008
Let me first acknowledge Guy Muraoka for his outstanding effort in creating and maintaining our awesome KHS ’75 web site and keeping us informed on class activities. This blog is a great way to communicate.
I want to take a moment to remember our classmate and my close friend, Mark Lee, who attended Niu Valley Intermediate and lived in Aina Haina.
Mark was a brilliant artist, musician, and writer. He wore his hair down to his shoulders, and was as kind, gentle person. Mark and I were Debate Club partners and took second place in statewide competition. Mark dated classmate, Consulina Wong. Mark attended the Ivy League School, Brown University in Rhode Island for one year, before returning to Hawaii.
During his year at Brown, he became extremely depressed. For those of us who attended university on the mainland at age 18, it was a time of growing up, isolation, home sickness, and sometimes experiencing bone chilling and depressing winters. His loving family was supportive and welcomed him to return to Hawaii. Mark returned to Hawaii and was diagnosed in a manic – depressive state and was placed on lithium medication.
My last contact with Mark was when I returned home from the US Naval Academy during Christmas vacation 1976. I visited him in the hospital with Consulina and his older sister Liz. We laughed and sang songs together. However, I didn’t grasp the full gravity of the depth of his depression, nor what was about to happen.
In February 1977, Mark committed suicide at his home. He was later buried in Hawaiian Memorial Park in Kaneohe.
Many decades have since past. But I still miss my dear beloved friend, Mark Lee. God rest his soul.
Aloha,
Brian Yanagi, President
Kalani HS Class of 1975
Entry Filed under: Uncategorized
4 Comments Add your own
1. Claire Nakayama Dodson | August 18th, 2008 at 2:00 am
I remember Mark Lee from an art class that we had together. I got to know Bobbie Murata at Niu Valley Intermediate in the 7th grade. Stephen Dung was in my Hawaiiana class. Glenn Nagata was fresh from Japan and only spoke Japanese in my 3rd grade class at Wilson Elementary. I recently heard that Robert Buettner passed away–he made a lot of us laugh. Too many, too soon, sorely missed but not forgotten.
2. Susan Uyechi | July 13th, 2015 at 8:31 am
I’m very sorry to hear about Mark Lee having suffered depression in such a way that he was only able to accept taking his life to get free from his ills. It is a terrible situation when you are so down that you cannot get back up to a place where life is meaningful and enjoyable. Rest in peace our classmate Mark. Thank you Brian for expressing your feelings for your dear friend. You are remembered Mark. God bless you and your family. How are you doing Consulina Wong? I pray that you were able to receive loving counsel and have been able to find solace for your loss. Blessings to all of you dear classmates.
3. Michael Bonic | December 5th, 2017 at 2:31 am
I remember Mark Lee on the Spring 1975 Big Island Waipio-Waimanu Valley camping trip. It’s saddening to hear Mark was struggling with depression, I remember him as philosophical and creative. Who can forget Mark Lee?
What a journey it’s been. I couldn’t figure out how to post a new blog, so I thought I’d do an update here. I attended freshman year at NYU, sophomore year at UH Manoa, put school on the back burner, married a girl friend from Japan in 1979 in NYC, then we created our own family (of three). That was the “mountaintop experience”, separation followed later and life’s been this journey of finding some balance between the material and spiritual planes maintaining purpose and peace of mind. If you type “Michael Bonic/YouTube Videos” in Google search field, then click on “Uploads from Michael Bonic – YouTube”, there are 10 of my YouTube videos so far. I also answer some questions in Quora and have about 100 boards in Pininterest. If you remember me you can save any of my “pins” on Pininterest and leave a message. Being half-Jewish & half-Chinese I’m focused on centering myself thru emotions and spirit and hope to get into homesteading in the 49th state later. I’m forever hoping to always have more Asian friends because American-Asian and Asian-Asian people are the coolest.
That’s it then for now fellow Falcon alums. Peace and Take It Easy!
Michael Bonic
4. Carol Jean (Lau) Meyer | December 28th, 2020 at 3:16 am
I’m so sad to hear about Charlie. He was a great friend when I attended Kalani. He always made me laugh. I wish I knew he was a chef. I would have gone to see him. I look forward to seeing him again.💜
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