A number of the University of Hawaiʻi’s most respected educators and graduates passed in 2022. Here are their In Memoriam stories, as each had a profound impact on the university, Hawaiʻi and the world.
Pioneering Native Hawaiian educator and athlete Rockne Freitas
A powerful voice, once-in-a-generation, sports phenom—just a few of the superlatives used to describe the former pro-football standout and UH leader Rockne Freitas
Jasper Konter, dedicated mentor and exceptional scientist
Konter was recruited by the Department of Earth Sciences for his globally recognized leadership in making detailed isotopic measurements of volcanic rocks to illuminate the origins of ocean island chains.
Patricia Ewalt, devoted student advocate and social work dean
Ewalt prioritized partnerships with community organizations that offer students opportunities to gain practical experience and brought those relationships to the forefront of social work education in Hawaiʻi.
Kathy Cutshaw, dedicated and respected UH Mānoa executive
Cutshaw served as the UH Mānoa vice chancellor for administrative, finance and operations under six chancellors until her retirement and was awarded the title of vice chancellor emerita.
Founding ethnic studies director Franklin Odo
“If you don’t control your own culture, and your own vision of life, and your own participation in life, then you don’t control anything.”—Franklin Odo
Award-winning architect, adjunct professor Donald Goo
Goo led many iconic architectural projects, including the Sheraton Waikiki, the Hilton Hawaiian Village and the Hawaiʻi Convention Center.
Hanauma Bay protector Ernst Reese
Reese’s coral reef research convinced the Hawaiʻi State Legislature to designate Hanauma Bay as a Marine Life Conservation District.
JABSOM founding faculty Martin Rayner
Rayner leaves behind a legacy at JABSOM as an inspiring scientist, an educator to both undergraduate and graduate students and a mentor to many.
Longtime engineering professor Robert Grace
“While he was considered one of the toughest professors in the college, he was also one of the most respected and more importantly one of the most appreciated by his students.”—Dean Brennon Morioka
Noa Emmett Aluli, defender of Native Hawaiians, rural health
“He believed that each patient’s health and well-being needed to be understood in the context of their ʻohana, their genealogy, their lifestyle, and their ʻāina.”—The Aluli ʻOhana
District Judge, former UH Vice President and General Counsel Darolyn Lendio Heim
“Her professionalism, compassion and unshakeable integrity increased respect for UH in the community, in the three branches of state government, and among her fellow attorneys locally.”—President Emeritus David McClain
Memorial for renowned UH Mānoa theatre professor, Kumu Kahua founder Dennis Carroll
Carroll was a longtime professor and chair of the UH Mānoa Department of Theatre and Dance, where he spent more than four decades encouraging students to write plays and create productions.
