Elizabeth Whitehead, Estrelita Bradford, 80, honored at Older American event

Elizabeth Whitehead and Estrelita Bradford, who both celebrated their 80^th birthdays this year, were recognized at the Lahaina Honolua Senior Club’s Older American Luncheon on Monday, May 13, at Maui Economic Opportunity in Wailuku.

Elizabeth was born May 8, 1944, at Pioneer Mill Hospital in Lahaina. She attended grade school at Sacred Hearts and graduated from Lahainaluna High School.

Moving to California and becoming a hairdresser, Elizabeth met her husband, James. They moved back to Lahaina in 1973 and operated a construction company. He passed in 2016. The couple has two children, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Elizabeth volunteers at Maria Lanakila Catholic Church and is a member of the Lahaina Filipino Catholic Club, the Lahaina Honolua Senior Club and the ILWU senior club.

Estrelita hails from the Philippines, where she was born on March 29, 1944. In 1971, she came to Maui and met and married her husband, Clifford. He passed in 2007.

A school teacher in the Philippines, Estrelita became a housewife, raising the couple’s four children, and later worked at the Kapalua Bay hotel for 24 years. She has two grandchildren.

In addition to recognizing Elizabeth and Estrelita, the club held a short meeting, led by new President Hedy Udarbe, and honored past President Arleen Gerbig, who later paid tribute to friend and club member Gladys Baisa. A former council member and MEO executive director, Gladys passed earlier this year.

Club members played bingo and had lunch. The club has been meeting at MEO since the Aug. 8 wildfires destroyed their main meeting site, the West Maui Senior Center, and scattered many members all over the island. One club member lost their life in the wildfires and members lost adult children and other relatives. Nearly 40 members lost their homes.