It was with sadness that announced the passing of Conrad Nonaka, who served as the University of Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s director of the (CIP) since January 2001. Nonaka passed away on June 2.
Nonaka¡¯s passion for culinary education was legendary. He readily connected with master chefs and executives in the industry, and always remembered his service and commitment to students. His generosity and humility comprised his brand, which forged and established lasting relationships for CIP.
Kapiʻolani CC Chancellor Louise Pagotto said, “We will miss Conrad dearly. He was a kind, generous colleague. He went out of his way to make sure we were well taken care of at any of our public events. You could always count on Conrad to be gracious and to make guests to the college feel comfortable. His smile and laughter filled the room.”
In 2016, Nonaka received a UH Distinguished Alumni Award. According to his bio, “After earning his BEd from UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ and receiving an honorable military discharge from the U.S. Army, Nonaka trained many in the hospitality industry. A proud graduate of the culinary program at Kapiʻolani Community College, Nonaka returned to share his knowledge and expertise with the culinary students as chef instructor. He developed the successful Kapiʻolani CC Saturday Farmers¡¯ Market—an educational partnership agreement between the Culinary Institute of the Pacific and the Â鶹´«Ã½ State Farm Bureau Federation. The market has grown into a destination event for an average of more than 9,000 people each Saturday.”
Nonaka is survived by wife Susan and two grown sons.
Services
Services are scheduled for July 13, 4:30 p.m. at Nuʻuanu Memorial Park and Mortuary. The family requests no flowers.
In lieu of monetary donations, contributions can be made to the .
