Crean Family

John Crean: My family moved to Honolulu in the fall of 1970 when my father landed a professorship at the University of Hawai‘i. Being kids from Wisconsin we knew nothing about Hawai‘i. How lucky we were about to be! The first year my mother, Eileen, didn't have a regular teaching job, but owing to her exceptional sewing skills she got a gig making puppets for the Checkers and Pogo show. My older sister and I went to Koko Head Elementary. One day I came home speaking Pidgin. That was too much for our parents, both PhDs from Yale. So my mom set about getting us into a better school.

Mom had begun teaching history at Punahou in the fall of 1971 and really hit the jackpot when she landed a permanent position, which made us eligible for tuition remission. Otherwise, there was no way we could have afforded it. In the fall of 1972, I entered the 3rd grade in the Winne Units with Mrs. Lucas and Mrs. Sperry, my older sister entered the 4th grade and my younger one kindergarten. Our lives were about to change forever. I am eternally grateful to Punahou for the financial support and hope in some small way to pass that support along to the next aspiring Punahou student.