After a long workday in the family business, Aiko Takitani and her husband, Mamoru, would head home to spend hours in their attic tinkering with a recipe for chocolate-covered maca-damia nuts.

Decades later, the Takitanis' experiments would serve as a foundation for Hawaiian Host Chocolates, which now employs 200 people and is the largest exporter of chocolate-covered mac nuts.

Aiko Takitani died on June 28 at the age of 92, leaving a legacy of community service.

"The Takitanis were true pioneers in the candy manufacturing industry," said Dennis Teranishi, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Hawaiian Host Inc.

"Chocolate-covered maca-damia nuts are quite common today, but it was Mr. and Mrs. Takitani who developed the entire product category."

A former Japanese language schoolteacher, Takitani co-founded Hawaiian Host with her husband on Jan. 1, 1960. In the early days of the company, she drove a station wagon around town to deliver the company's candy products.

In 1988, she became the company's chairwoman after her husband died.

Takitani and her husband were active in the local community.

Because they had no children of their own, the couple set up the Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation to award scholarships to students of local public and private high schools. Since 1993, the foundation has given out more than $1.1 million in scholarships.

"She was not one to brag and talk about herself, so many people didn't know how much she gave back to the community," said Hideo Kondo, president of the Takitani Foundation.

Takitani is survived by nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, family members requested that donations be made in her memory to the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin. The address is 1727 Pali Highway, Honolulu, HI 96813. Donations also could be made to the Takitani Foundation at P.O. Box 10687, Honolulu, HI 96816-0687.

Reach Rick Daysog at rdaysog@honoluluadvertiser.com.