Farewell, 'Miss Sunshine'


By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser Staff Writer

From the time she was young, noted artist Peggy Chun was a beacon, emitting laughter born out of originality.

When she was a girl, she organized a carnival in her backyard and persuaded her brother Michael to dress up in sequined BVDs and jump on a trampoline. Two weeks before her death, she persuaded her caregivers, fondly known as Peg's Legs, to take her for a ride on the Superferry. She wore a penguin suit.
And so it went yesterday at a memorial service at Kawaiaha'o Church, with story after story of her quirky, funny lust for life. Chun died Nov. 19 at age 62 of ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, the same illness that contributed to the deaths of her grandfather, mother and twin sister.

"She was the organizer, the driver, and carried ambitious joy from childhood until her death," said her brother, Michael Richard. "I like to think we'll survive this death. We have our memories. Here goes a woman who loved and lived life."

Friends and family filled the church. Some were in penguin costumes complete with orange beaks. Some wore butterfly wings and antennae. Some wore animal print hats or shirts. And others wore plumeria tucked behind their ears. Those were the members of Peg's Legs, a group of caregivers that provided round-the-clock care to Chun during the six years of her illness.

Some of her artwork was on display in the rear of the church, next to a collage of photos of her life.

In word, song and hula, caregivers and family expressed what she meant to them.

Keola Beamer played guitar while Moana Beamer did the hula. Friend Malia Ka'ai-Barrett sang and Jim Franklin sang a song he said Chun had a hand in crafting.

"To all of us, she was Miss Sunshine," said Elroy Chun, her husband. "She was neither saint nor sinner."

Chun was born Mary Margaret Richard in Lawton, Okla. She moved to Hawai'i in 1969 and first became known for her hand-crafted Hawaiian-themed Christmas ornaments. She started painting after her sister, Bobbie, died in 1987.

Standing yesterday in a penguin suit with two other similarly dressed caregivers, Marvel Armitage said she realizes now that Chun was in a race for a cure of ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

"ALS did not take Peggy; she embraced it as her cause," Armitage said. "She gave encouragement until the end with eye love. I realize that she had beaten ALS a long time ago."

The Richard family, despite its quirks, was one of love, her brother Peter Richard said, thanking everyone for caring for his sister while he lived in Oklahoma.

"Mahalo to all of you for tending to her," Peter Richard said.

Peggy's son, Eric Keala Chun, said he's reminded of some basic truths whenever he thinks of her. She was always fun, creative and a spendthrift, and he was just like her.

"She always filled me with confidence," her son said. "She was a magical kid-like figure to me."

Those at the church yesterday were the people who were part of Chun's colorful life before and since she was diagnosed with ALS in 2002. The disease caused paralysis and eventually prevented her from holding a paint brush. She continued to paint with a brush between her teeth. When even that became impossible, she painted using a computer that read her eye movements.

Before and after the service, her friends and family milled about inside and outside the church, swapping their favorite stories of Chun.

"She was one of the most joyful people I've ever met," said Fortuna Harai, who wore butterfly wings on her back and bobbing antenna on her head in honor of Chun's fun spirit.

"She would have loved this," said Maile Ka'ai-Cockett, who added that Chun was her mentor. "She was always irreverent and always fun."

That was the common theme yesterday, how much fun Chun made everything. Tiare Finney, a friend, said every day with Chun was like a party.

"During the last five days of her life, we had Thanksgiving, Christmas and 12 hours later we had New Year's," Finney said. "All the celebrations. But we didn't make it to Easter or else we'd have to put that bunny suit on her."

Lynn Cook, who was a friend of Chun's for 25 years and one of Peg's Legs, said that in the past six years the volunteers would come to Chun's Nu'uanu home and do everything from sweep the floor to wrap presents. They worked 4- to 6-hour shifts once a week.

Cook said she has worn reindeer antlers given to her by Chun in 10 different Mainland cities.

"Peggy loved me and I loved her unconditionally," Cook said. "She was always there for me. Nothing was ever work, it was all fun, pure unadulterated fun.

"When you walked into a room and she was there, you knew something good would happen."

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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