Senator Mazie Hirono's office issued the following:
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senator Mazie K. Hirono issued the following statement on the passing of Irene Hirano Inouye:
“My thoughts go out to the Yasutake and Inouye ohana today as we mourn the passing of Irene Hirano Inouye. Irene’s passion for serving her community on the local, national and international levels was profoundly evident in her life's work. From her service as the President and founding CEO of the Japanese American National Museum, chair of the Ford and Kresge Foundations, to President of the U.S. Japan Council, Irene was dedicated to the organizations and causes she believed in.
“In the years following the passing of Senator Inouye, Irene worked to establish the Daniel K. Inouye Institute to carry on and preserve the Senator’s legacy and continue the work that he started. Last June, I joined Irene at the Christening of the USS Daniel K. Inouye in Bath, Maine, and we both looked forward to welcoming the destroyer to Pearl Harbor. Like so many others, I will miss her friendship, determination and spirit, but I and others will continue to build upon the strong foundations that she laid.”
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