Elizabeth Paris (Betty) Dunford
An Advocate for Community Development

Elizabeth Paris (Betty) Dunford became a Cooke Foundation trustee in 1982. She succeeded her mother, Dorothea Cooke Paris. During her years as a trustee she was a strong advocate and supporter for projects in human services and community development. This passion of hers is a reflection of her life.

Betty was born in 1927 in Honolulu. As a child she loved fishing and hunting with her father Lewers, riding with the Molokai Ranch cowboys, climbing trees and just playing outdoors. (She was still climbing trees at 67 when her children asked her to stop.) Her love of the outdoors has been transferred to all three of her children. They were all brought up with hiking, backpacking and camping, hunting and fishing on Molokai, family picnics, body surfing and lots of yard work. Like their mother, her childrens’ favorite family vacations were spent at Kaupoa and Pu’ukolea with grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. Betty still has a deep love and concern for Molokai.

She attended Hanahauoli School and thrived in its creative environment. She even won an art competition while she was a student there. Her mother always wished that she had done more with her art, but the craft projects with shells and beach glass that she has done definitely show the creativity that Hanahauoli cultivated. After attending Punahou for three years, she was sent to and graduated from Katherine Branson’s boarding school in Marin County, California.

Her college career started at Carlton College in Minnesota and ended at Stanford. (Minnesota was too cold.) Betty graduated with a bachelor of arts in Social Service and her first job was teaching at Mother Rice Pre-School. Later she was offered a position at Liliuokalani Trust (now Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Centers) as a social worker. Betty loved her job, but as she strongly believed in being at home for her children, she quit working full-time when her son Rick was born. Her compassion and desire to help others who are not as fortunate were strengthened as a social worker and are what defines her as an individual.

While her children were growing up she worked part time tutoring children in reading and writing skills and writing for a phonics based learning system called Total Reading. Later she worked at the Koolau Youth Correctional Facility. She taught reading and writing to small groups of boys with reading and writing skills way behind their age level. It was rewarding for her to bring them up six grade levels or more in one year. Many of her students affectionately called her “Grandma” and she was fond of them also.

It was at this time in her life that Betty researched and wrote her book “The Hawaiians of Old” which was published in 1980. She was not happy with the textbooks that her children had in their Hawaiiana classes. She felt that those books made the subject boring and therefore difficult to learn. Betty wanted the children of Hawaii, especially those of Hawaiian descent, to know their culture and be proud of it. One of the highpoints of her life was when her sister Dodo sent her a newspaper clipping which interviewed Konawaena students on their favorite part of school. One of the students replied, “Reading The Hawaiians of Old”. That meant more to her than any other critique or praise of her book. She also rewrote a college textbook, “Pacific Neighbors”, to a fourth grade reading level.

Betty retired from teaching at age 63 and moved to Kona soon after. Honolulu had become too big of a city for her and she wanted to be closer to her sisters, Dodo and Rita. In Kona she got back into gardening after years of living in an apartment. Her yard is truly a labor of love and still is a big part of her life.

Her children, family and friends are definitely the biggest part of her life. Her son Rick lives on the Big Island and she sees him almost every week. Her daughters Thea and Lissa live in Oregon and on Kauai. She enjoys traveling to visit her daughters and other family and friends and looks forward to their visits to Kona. She loves babysitting for her nephew’s children who look forward to spending the night with Auntie Betty. Between family outings, playing bridge and various dinners and parties, Betty has a full social life and is kept very busy.

Along with her family and friends, Betty’s work in the community has always contributed towards her full schedule. While her children were growing up she taught Sunday school, was on various committees at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, was active in the PTA at Lanikai Elementary School and was a Camp Fire Girls leader for many years. In Kona she has been involved with Kona Historical Society, Kona Outdoor Circle, Amy Greenwell Ethno Botanical Gardens, Daughters of Hawaii, West Hawaii Family Support Services and Christ Church Episcopal Church. While she has been cutting back on her commitments, she is now reading with children at Konawaena Elementary School, which she really enjoys.

Another focus of her retirement has been traveling and seeing the world. For many years Betty went on two or three trips a year and has traveled all over the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. She finally got to South America last year, but never has made it to India. (She has always wanted to see the Taj Mahal.) She is not traveling as much lately, but she has already experienced more than most of us ever will.

Betty truly feels fortunate for the many blessings in her life that she has had. She had wonderful parents, a family full of love and fun, a great education, all the wonderful places and times from her childhood, her three children, her many friends and a full and interesting life. Her family and friends appreciate and admire her for her spunkiness, creativity, compassion and love for her family and Hawaii.