Former University of Hawaiʻi administrator and UH alumnus Eugene Imai died January 28, 2018. He was 72. Imai served as UH senior vice president for administration from July 1, 1995 until April 30, 2004. In October 2001 his title was changed to vice president for administration and CFO.
“Eugene dedicated his life to public service through the military, state and University of Hawaiʻi,” said UH President David Lassner. “He was a kind and gracious executive here at UH, who looked after the people he worked with and always put the university first.”
Following a tour in Vietnam, Imai served for 31 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard, where he retired as a major general. Imai was commissioned via the Reserve Officer Training Corps at UH Mānoa before heading to Vietnam. He graduated from UH Mānoa in 1968 with a bachelor of arts in political science and earned a master of business administration at UH Mānoa in 1971.
Imai also served as an administrator for the Hawaiʻi departments of agriculture, education, budget and finance, and accounting and general services.
He is survived by wife Gail, daughter Serina Hijirida (David), son Gavin (Flora Xiang), sister Ruth Shigekane, brother Arthur, grandsons and nephews.
Service to be held at Arcadia Retirement Residence on Friday, March 23. Visitation 8:30 a.m., service 9:30 a.m. Burial to follow at 1 p.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). No koden or flowers.
For more on Imai’s military service go to the Hawaiʻi National Guard retirees website.
