Betty Lou Look

    We are sad to announce the passing of Betty Lou Look of Kaneohe, Hawaii.  She passed at the age of 86 on June 6, 2023 surrounded by her loved ones. 

     Betty Lou Chu was born on July 8, 1936 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Wan Chu and Ngit Ung.  Her older brother John Chu was 19 years older than her and cared for her after their parents passed away when she was 5 years old.  He paid $30/month to various families that cared for her.  The first family, Mr. and Mrs. Leong wanted to adopt her, but John wanted her to live with an aunty and uncle which did not work out after 5 years.  After that Betty lived with two other families and finally through a social worker at Child and Family Services arranged for her to board at Mid Pacific Institute provided she maintained good grade, which she did.

     Betty then worked for her room and board with the Hicks family who were directly related to the senior president of the Hawaii Electric Company.  She attended the University of Hawaii and during that time met her future husband Durmond Look.  They got married in her 5th year of college where she majored in teaching.  She substitute taught because no jobs were available, then became pregnant.  She became a full time Mother to raise her daughter Leticia. Later Durmond took a job in Japan as an electrical engineer.  Betty joined him and had their second child Damian in Japan.  Back in Honolulu their daughters Jamie and Jonna were born.  They all lived in Thailand for 3 years while Durmond was in Vietnam.  Their youngest daughter Dera was born in Honolulu.

     Betty couldn’t take the rigors of teaching and instead spent the rest of her work years doing clerical work for the Department of Human Service and University of Hawaii.  She retired from the University of Hawaii and took a variety of classes including hula, keyboard, and jamming with senior groups on the ukulele.  She also traveled to China, New Zealand, Far East Countries and Nova Scotia.  Later she did volunteer work at Pohai Nani Care Center.  She was a member of First Presbyterian Church where she sang in the choir and helped collate the Sunday programs. 

     Betty’s loved ones remember her fondly for beautiful smile and love of music and dance.  She led the ukulele choir at St. Stephen Church in Nuuanu and was involved in several other church bands along with her family, leaving her musical legacy with her children and grandchildren.  Betty was a very thoughtful, kind, and generous person always being there for her friends and family.  She is terribly missed, but leaves so many fond memories behind. Her most important thing in life was to love and honor the Lord by doing things for Him and others.  She lived with the Lord as her strength and confidant.

     Her children are forever grateful for the care she received from the staff of @ Home Comfort Care Hawaii, who became her family as well. Her final years were happy and filled with so many smiles and laughter.

     Betty was preceded in death by her parents Wan Chu and Ngit Ung, her brother John Chu and former husband, Durmond Look.  She is survived by daughter Leticia Nagata and husband Peter Nagata, son Damian Look and wife Chiaki Look, daughter Jamie Look and partner Keith Mueller, daughter Jonna Look and husband Jay Ford, and daughter Dera Stewart and husband Larz Stewart. She is also survived by grandchildren Mark, Becky, Ethan, Rachel, Kyle, Stephen, Harley, Samantha, Leif, and Kalai, great grandchildren Mariah and Keani as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

     A Celebration of Life will be held for Betty in the Spring of 2024.