Aunty Alice passed away this past Monday.
So who was Aunty Alice?
Aunty Alice is what my family called Alice Melito. She was my grandma's sister.
She was born Alice Caban, in a Kauai plantation village. She (and my grandma) moved to Kalihi when they were still growing up.
Aunty Alice later moved to New York's Staten Island, and married into an Italian-American family and became Alice Melito.
I've met Aunty Alice a few times when she visited Hawaii, though unfortunately, I never got to visit her in New York!
I also learned things about New York from a resident perspective while talking to Aunty Alice!
The funny thing about her visits to Hawaii, was that even though people can sense my grandma & Aunty Alice were related, their skin color was different (Alice was lighter) and Aunty Alice sounded like a stereotypical New York Italian, whereas my grandma's voice sounds like a mix of Hawaii pidgin with a hint of a Puerto Rican voice mixed within. You'd have to hear them both talk to believe it!
Aunty Alice was a very nice person, and it was a pleasure to have met her! She will be missed!
