May 18—Local public relations firm CommPac LLC plans to cease operations at the end of May, ending 54 years of business.

Local public relations firm CommPac LLC plans to cease operations at the end of May, ending 54 years of business.

The company announced its closing plan Wednesday and said the decision was a difficult one by owner and CEO Kitty Yannone, who is fighting cancer.

"This is not the future I envisioned for CommPac, but it is the right one for me and my family, " Yannone said in a letter to clients. "I have made the difficult decision to close my beloved Comm ­Pac and devote all my focus to my cancer battle, while I continue to go through a clinical trial study at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston."

CommPac claims to be the oldest public relations company in Hawaii, and over the decades has represented many of the largest businesses in the state. Clients today include Alexander & Baldwin Inc., First Insurance Co. of Hawaii, G70, AHL and Oahu Publications Inc., parent of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Bobbye Hughes McDermott founded CommPac's predecessor, Communications Pacific, in 1969, and built it into a travel marketing firm representing many leading tourism industry companies before broadening into a general public relations firm.

After a couple of ownership acquisitions by executives, New York-based public relations company Hill & Knowlton bought the local firm in 1988 and it was rebranded Hill & Knowlton Hawaii Inc.

Yannone, who had worked at CommPac from 1986 to 1994, purchased the company in 1998 and reinstated its original name which was later condensed to CommPac.

"I have had the great privilege of owning this storied agency for 25 years, " she said in a statement. "Together with some of the most talented communications professionals in the business, we've had the honor of serving clients across a wide spectrum of industries through thoughtful strategic counsel, sound communications practices and an innovative approach to community building and bringing people together to find common ground.

"We have reveled in our clients' successes, and never shied away from taking on some of the most high-profile, controversial issues in our state. Behind every decision was our unwavering commitment to honor and uphold the traditional values of our Island home. I am profoundly proud of the impact Comm ­Pac has had and am eternally grateful for every opportunity that has been afforded to me."

The company is working with its clients to transition all accounts and conclude any outstanding work in time to cease client service work May 31.

Correction : An earlier version of this story included a statement from owner and CEO Kitty Yannone that misstated the number of years she has owned CommPac.