George Ariyoshi obit

Former Governor Ariyoshi dies at age 100

 

He was not on the list.

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Hawaiʻi has lost one of its greatest leaders. Flags were lowered to half-staff across the state on April 20 to honor the service of former Governor George Ariyoshi.

He was Hawaiʻi’s longest-serving governor and the first American of Asian descent to serve as governor of any US state.

In a statement this morning, the Ariyoshi family said: “Governor Ariyoshi passed away on the night of April 19th. He was surrounded by his wife Jean, daughter Lynn, sons Rryozo and Donn. We would like to thank all our friends, family and supporters for all your support and friendship all these years.”

Gov. Ariyoshi was the state’s third governor and served from 1974 to 1986.

He and first lady Jean Ariyoshi celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Feb. 5. He had turned 100 on March 12.

“Governor loves you all. Governor sacrificed and worked hard for most of his life to build a better future for the state of Hawaiʻi and its people,” the family’s statement said. “Governor Ariyoshi loves you all very much!”

Ariyoshi’s political career began in 1954 when he was elected to the Hawaiʻi Territorial House of Representatives. He progressed through to the Senate and was elected lieutenant governor in 1970 with Governor John A. Burns. Three years later, Governor Burns fell ill, and Ariyoshi became acting governor before winning the office the following year.

“Governor Ariyoshi devoted his life to Hawaiʻi with humility, discipline and an unwavering sense of responsibility to the people he served,” Governor Josh Green said. “He led our state during a pivotal moment with quiet strength and integrity, and his legacy as a trailblazer and public servant will endure for generations. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones.”

The City and County of Honolulu said Ariyoshi helped “guide Hawaiʻi through its early post-statehood decades, marked by economic transition, growth and the strengthening of state institutions.”

From now through sunset on the day of his memorial service, the US and state of Hawaiʻi flags will fly at half-staff at the state capital, all state offices and agencies, as well as all Hawaiʻi National Guard facilities.

Ariyoshi was born on March 12, 1926 in Honolulu, then in the Territory of Hawaiʻi, to Japanese immigrant parents, who named him after George Washington. Ariyoshi graduated in 1944 from McKinley High School. As World War II drew to a close, he served as an interpreter with the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Service in Japan. Upon returning stateside, he first attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, then transferred to Michigan State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949. He then went on to receive his J.D. degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1952.