Gilbert Kahele (May 15, 1942 – January 26, 2016) was an American politician and a Democratic member of the

Hawaii Senate The Hawaii Senate is the upper house of the Hawaii State Legislature. It consists of twenty-five members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands and is led by the President of the Senate, elected from the membe ...

from January 16, 2011, representing District 1. He was appointed by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Neil Abercrombie Neil Abercrombie (born June 26, 1938) is an American politician who served as the seventh governor of Hawaii from 2010 to 2014. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Born in Buffalo, New York, Abercrombie is a graduate of Union College and th ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the appointment of Russell S. Kokubun as Hawaii Commissioner of Agriculture. Kahele died in office on January 26, 2016, after being hospitalized one week prior.

Early life and education

The son of Peter and Rebecca Kahele, both of Hawaiian descent, Gilbert was the third of six children. Kahele was born in a grass shack in

Kalihi Kalihi is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi, United States. Split by the Likelike Highway (Route 63), it is flanked by downtown Honolulu to the east and Mapunapuna, Moanalua and Salt Lake to the west. Kalihi is the ...

, just south of the Hawaiian fishing village of Miloliʻi in

South Kona Kona is a ''moku'' or district on the Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii, known for its Kona coffee and the location of the Ironman World Championship Triathlon. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County, the ''moku'' ...

. Kahele attended

Hilo High School Hilo High School is a Public school (government funded), public, Coeducation, co-educational high school of the Hawaii State Department of Education, and serves grades nine through twelve. Established in 1906, its first class graduated in 1909. ...

, played on the Vikings football team, and graduated in 1960. Kahele served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

for four years in the engineering troop responsible for refrigeration. After the military, Kahele graduated with an

Associate degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The fi ...

in Science in 1967 from Oakland City College in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

Career

Kahele moved back to Hawaiʻi where he began a civil service career that would last 33 years. He got a job with the Federal Government at Naval Station Wahiawa as a refrigeration mechanic. For the next 25 years, Gil drove from Hilo on

Saddle Road Route 200, known locally as Saddle Road, traverses the width of the Island of Hawaii, from downtown Hilo to its junction with Hawaii Route 190 near Waimea. The road was once considered one of the most dangerous paved roads in the state, with ...

to his job at the

Pohakuloa Training Area Pōhakuloa Training Area (PTA) is a US military training base located on the high plateau between Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and the Hualalai, Hualālai volcanic mountains of the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii. It includes a small military airstrip k ...

, from which he retired in 2000 as the Director of Public Works. Governor

selected Kahele to represent Senate District Two on Hawaiʻi Island after Senator Russell S. Kokubun resigned his seat to take a position in Abercrombie's cabinet in January 2011. Kahele was unopposed for both the August 11, 2012 Democratic primary and the November 6, 2012 general election.

Personal life

He married

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

stewardess Linda Haggberg in October 1971, and the couple lived in

Wahiawa Wahiawa ( haw, Wahiawā, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States, on the island of Oahu. It is in the Wahiawa District, on the plateau or "central valley" between the two volcanic mountains that comprise the ...

. In 1976, the couple moved to Hilo. They had two children, Kai and Noelani. Kahele died early on January 26, 2016, after a short illness which caused him to miss the 2016

Hawaii State Legislature The Hawaii State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state legislature is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Hawaii State House of Representatives, with 51 representatives, and an upper house, the ...

's opening day. His son, Kai, won the special election to succeed him.

References

External links

Official page
at the

Campaign site
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kahele, Gilbert 1942 births 2016 deaths Democratic Party Hawaii state senators People from Hawaii (island) People from Hilo, Hawaii Military personnel from Hawaii United States Marines Native Hawaiian people Laney College