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Note: Deda met Nana at a dance at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (family history) in Honolulu where she lived with her mother. It was built in town in 1872 and accomodated 175 guests and did not serve food. It was located 2 blocks east of the Young (located in the heart of town on Bishop St. and had a dance pavillion on the roof garden) and was under the same management as the Young and Moana (Moana-first major tourist hotel built on Waikiki in 1901) hotels. Her father and brother lived on the pineapple plantation during the week and came into Honolulu on the weekends. The Moana had a Hawaiian quintet play music on the rear veranda every Sunday evening. This must be where the story came from. The Royal Hawaiian Band performed every Thursday evening at one of the local hotels. This information on these hotels came from "The Aoha Guide" by Ferdinand John Henry Schnack pub. in 1915.
Deda wrote to her for a year or two before he was allowed to court her.
1900 June 30th - William Gaynor graduated from Grammar School # 108 at Linwood St. and Arlington Ave. which is 1/4 mile from 33 Ashford. Is this him? Lyman A. Best, principal.
1910 NY Kings County Brooklyn census- He was 25- a bond clerk with a surety company.
22 Sep. 1915 - Traveled from Honolulu to San Francisco on the Matsonia.
1920 CA, Berkeley Twp., Alameda County, census Page 9B, ED 183 He was a broker of building materials. Mary Permar Thomas (64) and Yoshi Ka(o)dani (19 yr. old servant) were also living with them. They were living on Shattuck Ave at Hotel White Cotton. I believe that I remember hearing that Yoshi got homesick so they sent her back to Japan (or Hawaii?) at some point.
1922 CA Voter Registration - William F. and May T were residing at 1741 Westmoreland Blvd. He was an insurance agent.
1930 CA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, census ED 215 pg. 7B. Image 2096. They were living at 1741 Westmoreland Blvd. with Mary Permar Thomas who was 75 and a widow. Census says his parents were born in NY(?).
1918 Dec. 26th - Arrived with family on the Manoa in San Francisco from Honolulu..
Buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California (720 E. Florence Ave.) Lot #133 Miramar
He came out of retirement to become President of Pacific Indemnity Insurance Company which was bought by Chubb years later. He worked until he was almost 80.
1954 CA Voter Registration - William F. and Mrs. May Thomas residing at 310 S. Gardner st R
He took Chuck to Dodgers games after Daddy died so Chuck could have some male bonding. Deda loved opera and he hid True Detective magazines in the sofa in the den. Nana used to throw ice cubes into his drinks in restaurants (trying to spill the liquor out of the glass I assume). He was prepared. He ordered a double. Deda paced circles in the living room carpet. I rode the Lark with them from LA to SF on the weekends (Friday nights and Sunday nights) to visit the Hofmanns.
WWI Draft Registration Card - Resided at 1555 Wilder Ave. Honolulu. This is the address of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel according to Jan Gaynor Johnson in 2008 who checked it out when in Hawaii. He worked for the B.F. Dillingham Insurance Co. Med. height and build, blue eyes and brown hair.
Worked with the National Surety Corporation in 1904, joined the Hawaiian Trust Company in Honolulu when it assumed representation of National Surety. In 1915 he becames manager of the insurance department of Dillingham Company. Three years later he resigned to return to the mainland. 1920-1926 he was with Ocean Accident and Guarantee. In 1926 he joined Swett & Crawford as underwriting manager serving until retirement in 1950. He came out of retirement in 1951 to assume the presidency of Pacific Indemnity Company and asked to be relieved of executive duties in 1956 but remained active in an executive capacity.
Written prior to 1918 in Honolulu publication -
GAYNOR, WILLIAM FRANCIS, insurance, Honolulu, T. H.; born in Lex-
ington, Ky., Feb. 28, 1885; son of Thomas Francis and Joanna (Jo-
sephine) Gaynor; educated public schools of Brooklyn and New York
city; married May Thomas in Honolulu, Oct. 8, 1913; two children, Mary
Josephine and William Thomas. Connected with home office of National
Surety Co., New York, 1903-11; insurance department, Hawaiian Trust
Co., Honolulu, 1911-15; with insurance department, B. F. Dillingham
Co., since 1915.
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