Wynona “Auntie Nona” Beamer
August 15, 1923 – April 10, 2008
Besides being an authority on all that is Hawaii, Nona Beamer was a much respected musician, songwriter, author and hula teacher. Born in Honolulu, Beamer temporarily moved to the mainland while attending college in Colorado and New York. When she settled back in Hawaii, Beamer worked mostly as a teacher of Hawaiian culture or “Hawaiiana,” a term she is credited for coining. She also taught hula for over thirty years in a studio she took over from her mother. In later years, she co-founded the Aloha Music Camp with her son, Keola Beamer, a Grammy nominated slack-key guitarist. Although in her 80s, Beamer continued to perform with her musically talented family up until a few months before she passed away in her sleep at the age or 84.