Maggi Parker

Marjorie Blanche Parker was born in 1927 in Nashua, New Hampshire, the youngest of six children, and a distant relative of the Parker Brothers of Monopoly fame. She got a B.A. in Education at Keene State College and her Master of Education from Boston University, She taught in Nashua and on Cape Cod, then became a principal in Air Force schools in Tokyo, Madrid, and on the island of Mallorca, where she gained experience in dealing with troubled children. She attended USC for her PhD but did not complete her degree and instead, in 1964, she married and moved to Hawaii. In Honolulu, she co-founded the Parker-Ames Center, giving psychological and educational services to emotionally disturbed children and young adults. She had always been interested in acting and appeared as an extra in several films shot in Hawaii, such as Hawaii (1966), I Sailed to Tahiti with an All Girl Crew (1969), and Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966). When she was cast as Steve McGarrett's secretary in Hawaii Five-0, CBS had high hopes for her, which can be seen in American newspapers of the time, and several stories were done introducing her to the public before and shortly after the show debuted in September of 1968. However, after 11 episodes, instead of her character being expanded as was promised, it was obviously destined to be a minor role, as were all Five-0 secretaries cast after her. So Steve McGarrett's secretary - in TV land - quit the series and show business, and became secretary to the most direct descendant of the last queen of Hawaii, Princess Abigail Kawananakoa, as well as the registration and publicity officer of The Friends of 'Iolani Palace, the former royal residence of Hawaii. She traveled with Princess Abigail around the world for the next 40 years. As of 2020, she is retired and living in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu.