Whether they were born and raised in Hawaiʻi or found their way here later in life, the people on this list have contributed to the fabric of these islands in their own ways.
With deep respect and aloha, here are some of the community members who have passed away so far this year.
George “Fiji” Brooks Veikoso
May 10, 1970 — July 23, 2025
Fijian native George Brooks Veikoso, known as Fiji, was a powerhouse performer whose sound fused reggae, R&B, hip-hop, and traditional Pacific Island influences. The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner made his mark on Hawaiʻi’s local music scene by playing with groups such as the Hawaiian Style Band before launching a solo career.
Despite his health issues, he continued to tour and perform, often seated onstage but still delivering the rich vocals that made him a beloved icon of island music. Veikoso was a mentor to many musicians across the Pacific and was known to help bring Polynesian voices into the mainstream. He passed away in Suva, Fiji. He was 55 years old.
Gary Puniwai Keawe-Aiko
June 17, 1935 — July 15, 2025
Born in Lāʻie, Oʻahu, Gary Aiko was the eldest of 12 children born to the legendary Hawaiian falsetto singer Genoa Keawe. At age 15, he began performing alongside his mother and appeared on his first recording. Aiko’s career as a singer began in 1957 at the Waikiki Sands Restaurant. He met the musicians Don Ho, Sonny Chillingworth, and Gabby Pahinui and joined the group as their bassist. The group played together for years in Kāneʻohe.
Aiko also worked as a lineman for the Hawaiian Electric Company for 43 years while building his career as a performer. He has recorded two Hawaiian music solo albums, and in 2014, he received the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts Lifetime Achievement Award.
Aiko passed away at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center. He was 90.
Kealoha Kalama
June 25, 2025
A recording artist, entertainer, and kumu hula, Kealoha Kalama was a well-known performer throughout Hawaiʻi. In 2005, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also a Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame honoree.
Kalama started Hula Halau O Pohai Kealoha in 1971 and performed and taught hula for over 25 years at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu.
In addition, she worked as an educator, teaching Hawaiian Studies at Admiral C.W. Nimitz Elementary School on Oʻahu. Kalama's family confirmed her death on June 25. She was 93 years old.
David Howard Murdock
April 11, 1923 — June 9, 2025
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Murdock took over the Hawaiian real estate company Castle & Cooke, which owned Dole Food Company and, at one point, the island of Lānaʻi.
He led Dole Food Co. from 1985 to 2021, transforming it into a top producer of fruits and vegetables across the globe.
In 2012, Murdock sold his portion of Lānaʻi, 98% of the island, to billionaire Larry Ellison. He passed away in his home in Thousand Oaks, California. Murdock was 102.
Henry Masaichi Miyamura
June 7, 2025
Born in Honolulu, Miyamura was a beloved musician and mentor to generations of Oʻahu musicians. He directed the McKinley High School band while also serving as principal clarinetist in the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, where he later became assistant director. From 1984 to 2010, he directed the UH Symphony Orchestra, and for 33 years, Miyamura was the music director for the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony.
Carl Henry "Soot” Bredhoff Jr.
Sept. 25, 1934 — May 31, 2025
Born and raised in Mānoa Valley on Oʻahu, Bredhoff was a leader in Hawaiʻi's ranching and cattle industry. He served as the former head of the Hawaiʻi Cattlemen's Association and was inducted into the Paniolo Hall of Fame in 2002.
Bredhoff worked on major ranches throughout Oʻahu, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island and believed it was an honor and privilege to be a steward of the land. He passed away at his upcountry Maui home at 90 years old.
Harry Saunders III
May 12, 1950 — May 26, 2025
Born on Oʻahu, Saunders grew up in Kailua and rose to lead Castle & Cooke Hawaiʻi, a Big Five company and, more recently, one of the largest residential community development firms in the state. Under his leadership, the company expanded the community of Mililani by adding 16,000 homes for families.
He retired and stepped down from his role as president of the company in February. Saunders passed away at 75 years old after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
Gerald Francis “Jerry” Burris
Feb. 12, 1944 — May 21, 2025
Born in San Francisco, California, Burris was a longtime journalist who worked for the Honolulu Advertiser in various positions for most of his career.
He passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Lanikai at 81 years old.
John Henry Felix
June 14, 1930 — May 5, 2025
Born in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, Felix was a devoted public service leader and the founding chair of Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s board of directors. Felix died of end-stage renal disease at his independent living facility in Hawaiʻi Kai.
In 2019, HPR named a transmitter on Lānaʻi in his honor: KJHF. You can hear those call letters at the top of every hour on HPR-1.
Clyde Aikau
Oct. 24, 1949 — May 3, 2025
Born in Kahului, Maui, Aikau was a legendary Hawaiian waterman who served as a lifeguard on Oʻahu's North Shore for many years and voyaged on Hōkūleʻa.
Aikau is also the younger brother of the late, renowned waterman Eddie Aikau.
Clyde Aikau passed away peacefully at his home in Waimānalo at 75 years old.
Prince David Klaren Laʻamea Kaumualiʻi Kawānanakoa
March 7, 1952 — May 1, 2025
Born in Carmel, California, Prince David was the son of the late Prince Edward Abnel Keliʻiahonui Kawānanakoa Sr. and the late Lila de Clark Whitaker Kawānanakoa.
He served as vice-regent for Hale O Nā Aliʻi O Hawaiʻi, a sacred order devoted to the preservation and advancement of Native Hawaiian knowledge and values.
Prince David passed away at his Mānoa home.
Dean Yoshizo Uchida
May 26, 1958 — April 4, 2025
Born in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, Uchida's career in the local building industry spanned multiple organizations and agencies in the public and private sectors.
At his time of passing, he served as the deputy superintendent for operations at the state Department of Education. He was also the director of the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting and the executive director of the Land Use Research Foundation.
Uchida passed away in ʻAiea at 66 years old.
Gene Ward
March 9, 1943 — April 4, 2025
Born in Conneaut, Ohio, Ward was the longest-serving member of the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives. The Republican lawmaker most recently served as a state representative for Hawaiʻi Kai, Kalama Valley and Portlock.
Ward announced his retirement from public service in March after he was diagnosed with pneumonia.
He passed away at 82 years old.
George Richard Chamberlain
March 31, 1934 — March 29, 2025
Born in Beverly Hills, California, Chamberlain rose to fame in the 1960s, acting in the television series "Dr. Kildare."
His hunky, all-American appearance made him an overnight star. Chamberlain was the recipient of three Golden Globe awards.
He died in his Waimānalo home of complications following a stroke. He was 90 years old.
Cindy Luis
March 16, 2025
Luis was a pioneer for women in sports writing. She became the first female sportswriter at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in 1981 and is most known for her coverage of University of Hawaiʻi women's sports, especially volleyball.
After retiring in 2024, she was inducted into the UH Sports Circle of Honor. She passed away peacefully in her Kailua home at 70 years old.
Mary Y. Matayoshi
May 27, 1930 — March 15, 2025
Born in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, Matayoshi was an educator and community leader. She served on many public boards, including the Hawaii Public Broadcasting Authority.
Matayoshi also created the program that went on to become the College of Continuing Education and Community Service for the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.
She passed away in Honolulu at the age of 94.
Bobby Curran
March 9, 2025
New York-native Curran was the longtime radio voice of the University of Hawaiʻi football and men's basketball for over three decades.
He also hosted the sports talk show "The Bobby Curran Show" on ESPN Honolulu. Curran was inducted into the UH Sports Circle of Honor in 2023 and named Hawaiʻi Sportscaster of the Year six times by the National Sports Media Association.
He passed away at the age of 69 at St. Francis Hospice in Honolulu.
Satoru Abe
June 13, 1926 — Feb. 4, 2025
Born in Mōʻiliʻili on Oʻahu, Abe was one of Hawaiʻi's most renowned and influential artists. His sculptures, paintings and other public art projects have been viewed by various generations across the Hawaiian Islands.
He was known as a living treasure by the Honpa Hongwanji Betsuin, a Buddhist temple in Honolulu.
His art reflected his life in New York, Japan and Hawaiʻi. At the time of his death, he was 98.
Jim Becker
Feb. 7, 2025
Becker was a world-traveling journalist who worked for The Associated Press and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
He had said that one of his most important stories was about Farrington High School's football team that won a league championship in 1965.
Becker, 98, died of natural causes at a Honolulu hospital.
Cliff Slater
Jan. 20, 2025
Born and raised in London, England, Slater was a writer, businessman, photographer, and community activist.
He strongly opposed Oʻahu's controversial $10 billion rail project and spoke out about other alternatives.
He became the head of Maui Divers' jewelry division and later opened Maui Divers Jewelry’s first retail store in 1983. Slater passed away at age 91 in his Honolulu home.
Don Robbs
Jan 23, 2025
Born in Litchfield, Minnesota, Robbs was a well-known broadcaster in Hawaiʻi.
He is most known as the "Voice of Rainbow Baseball," having done so for 40 years. He came up with the idea of putting the UH baseball team on the air when he was news director at KHVH.
Robbs was inducted into UH’s Sports Circle of Honor in 2015, and the press box at the Murakami Stadium honors his name. Robbs passed away in his Pearl City home of natural causes at age 88.
This story will continue to be updated throughout 2025.
