Rebekah’s Studio

The Learning Disabilities Association of Hawaii honored my hanai mother Ivalee Sinclair tonight at a dinner at the Pacific Beach Hotel.

Mom was the founder of Hawaii’s advocate groups for learning disabled people and their families in Hawaii more than 40 years ago, obtaining Federal funding and legislation for support in subsequent years, and making sure services were consistent with the law.

Tonight she was honored for “her vision, her guts, and her drive for the organization,” working tirelessly for many years, and she was recognized as “a legend, historian, and feared advocate.”

The Learning Disabilities Association of Hawaii named a new library center of resources for parents after her. Ivalee’s family was there to help celebrate.

Pictured below are, from left, me, Julie (Mrs. Karl) Sinclair, Ivalee Sinclair, Cherie (Mrs. David) Sinclair, and Dawn Yoshimura (Mrs. Brian Sinclair).

The Sinclair men are David, from left, Karl, James, and Brian.

Copyright 2014 Rebekah Luke