Gene Ward, the longest-serving member of the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives who retired this week, died Friday morning at age 82.
“On behalf of my mother and I, we want to thank the community for the abundance of prayers and kind thoughts. My father did what he loved most, serving others, until the end. We will miss him, but he will live forever in our hearts," his daughter, Johanna, said in a statement alongside her mother, Faredah.
Ward, a Republican, was in public service for over three decades, including more than 27 years working for his constituents in the East Oʻahu communities of Hawaiʻi Kai, Kalama Valley and Portlock. He was the minority leader of the House from 2018 to 2020.
Also a Vietnam veteran, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer and worked at the government agency USAID.
"He embodied true statesmanship — able to communicate and have good relationships with people across the aisle from both parties, and he was never afraid to have a conversation no matter what the topic was," Minority Floor Leader Rep. Diamond Garcia told HPR.
"Gene was a believer that debate is good, conversations is good, but at the end of the day, we can have differences of opinion but we have to respect each other as humans. And I think we need more of that today in politics. Gene just exemplified that, so he'll definitely be truly missed."
Garcia was Ward's chief of staff before he took office in 2023. He said Ward was instrumental in his path to becoming a lawmaker.
Ward announced last month that he would officially retire from the House on March 31. He said he had experienced several health setbacks over the past few months, including a recent diagnosis of pneumonia. He said it was a privilege to serve the people of East Honolulu from what he always considered the “People's House.”
On Friday, Gov. Josh Green ordered U.S. and state flags to be flown at half-staff at all state offices and agencies until Monday at sunset.
“The passing of Gene Ward is a profound loss for Hawai‘i. Gene dedicated his life to public service with passion, integrity and an unwavering commitment to the people he represented,” Green said in a statement. “Hawai‘i has lost a dedicated leader, but his legacy will continue to inspire us.”
Because of Ward's retirement, Green was already in the process of choosing Ward's successor for District 18 from among three names to be submitted by the state chair of the Republican Party.
