As you know, my big claim to fame is having served on the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, as the third student regent. The very first student regent, under the law that specifically provided for a student member, was Wayne Kahoonei Panoke. Most people call him Kahoonei, but I have always called him Wayne because that’s how we were introduced. His association with the University of Hawaii started before I met him in 1998 and his commitment to and involvement in the Hawaiian community started long before then.

One of the ways former regents, or more formally Regents Emeriti, stay connected is through the University of Hawaii Association of Emeritus Regents. Many of Hawaii’s business and political leaders have served on the BOR, so the UHAER includes many easily-recognized names (like Donna Tanoue, former Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or FDIC).

One thing the UHAER does is notify the BOR of the passing of an Emeritus Regent, which I will do later this morning informing them of the passing of Regent Emeritus Panoke. He is only the second Regent Emeritus that I’ve known personally to pass away; AQ McElrath was the first. And for the last few months, Wayne has been my coworker and he is the first coworker, past or present, to pass away.

Below is a wonderful tribute to Regent Emeritus Panoke, by Leimomi Khan, courtesy of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. His was definitely a booming voice, something you might discover if you were on the opposite side of an issue. But it is that passion and conviction that remind me of AQ.

Wayne Kaho’onei Panoke helped organize a Jan. 17, 2009 march down Kalakaua Ave. in Waik?k? to protest the state’s U.S. Supreme Court appeal for the right to sell crown lands. – Photo: Blaine Fergerstrom

Aloha ‘oe, Wayne Kaho’onei Panoke

Last night, Friday, October 13, 2009, at 7:00 p.m., at Queen’s Hospital, with his sister, Lehua, friends Annelle Amaral, Ike Kaaihue, Ladd, Ann Bottecelli, and myself, Wayne Kaho?onei Panoke transitioned to his new home in heaven.  Kahoonei had taken ill at the recent AHCC convention and while he was able to communicate for a few moments with his sister, Lehua, yesterday, he never recovered.

We have lost a booming, powerful voice in the Hawaiian community, a caring, compassionate leader, who never hesitated to stand front and center when it came to dealing with Hawaiian issues.  Standing side-by-side, he and Vicky Holt-Takamine, Ilioulaokalani Coalition, organized us in many marches.  In civic clubs, we could look for Wayne to be that voice of conviction at O’ahu Council meetings, at AHCC meetings, and the person whose gentle side called his hanai mother, Aunty Elizabeth Lau every morning to wish her a good day.

I will miss his morning calls, too…”Good morning, Tita.  How are you today?  What we gonna do today?”

His life was full and dedicated unselfishly to all of us.  I hope you will share with each other your remembrances of Wayne.  Our heartfelt condolences to his mother, sisters and brothers and to the leaders and staff of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, who took extraordinary steps to assure the comfort of Wayne during his hospitalization, and especially to Ike Kaaihue who spent every night at the hospital on Maui with Wayne to assure that he was never alone.

Uw?…uw? ka lani. The heavens weep today.

Marilyn Leimomi Khan
President
Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs

Mahalo!

***

P.S. – You can follow me on Twitter (@exbor) to get more regular updates.  Be warned, they are much more “regular” than my posts here.

P.P.S – Did you know capsun.org has it’s own Twitter account (@capsundotorg) that Tweets whenever I blog here or on my photo blog?

Please note:  The views expressed here are mine and mine alone.  While I am employed by and affiliated with organizations and individuals, permission has neither been asked nor granted to write on the topics discussed here.

Tags: Capsun, capsun poe, emeritus, exbor, Hawaii, kahoonei, panoke, poe, regent, university of hawaii, wayne