Mason Laakea Nainoa Hashimoto

Mason La'akea Nainoa Hashimoto, lovingly known as Mase, Smuzzy, Dittdish, Newborn, and La'a, passed away on May 1st, 2026, in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the age of 28. Mason was born on August 21st, 1997, in Reno, Nevada. He was cherished by his loved ones and leaves behind many, including: his Parents, Siblings, Grandparents, Aunties, Uncles, Cousins, Nephew, Friends, extended family and Hanai family.

Mason grew up in the Carson Valley and was proud to be a Washoe and Paiute Tribal descendant and was an enrolled member of the Bridgeport Indian Colony. He graduated from Kalani High School on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, and his adult life was heavily impacted by the Aloha, the Ocean, sights, culture, and friends he experienced there. Mason was fascinated by all the curiosities and mysteries of life and sought to learn and understand in various ways. He enjoyed video games, Godzilla, tattoos, his signature “Docs”, Music — especially Linkin Park — and passing his interests along to his siblings so they could share those things together. He loved spending quality time with those that he loved, as life and circumstances allowed. He found peace and healing in beach time with good friends, cooking, “spilling the tea,” or sharing a tasty meal, whether it was local Hawaiian food, Japanese fusion, his hankering for 7-ELEVEN Pork hash, Chicken Rice-a-Roni, or whatever creation he cooked up that evening, they were ALL his favorites, and a diet Coke made it a feast!

Most importantly, Mason loved love. He was always looking ahead into the future, realistic of the way things were, instinctual of the way things should be, hopeful for the way things could be, and always kept the faith that someday they would be, as long as he kept the light and love in his heart and kept the door open for others. Mason was a dream builder, optimistically waiting for others to see the light. Loving, compassionate, protective, and unwavering, he was never stingy with his heart.

One of Mason’s most memorable sayings as a toddler was, “time to get up… the Sun is here...” His innocent little voice often fell upon groggy adult ears yet persisted to shed light on the adventure, opportunity, and beauty that each new day brings. It was always said with a great big silly smile. Now, it stands as a warm welcomed memory and important reminder for us all during this difficult time.

Masons impact on the people he crossed paths with, is immeasurable. Every person who knew Mason carries their own precious memories of him. May they hold them dear and look back on them when they need a reason to smile.

Mason’s greatest legacy will always be the joy, love, compassion, and care he brought to this world, a whole lot of love without condition and without expectation. Mason was pure light. His shine illuminated the darkness. For those who were not blinded, his unwavering love was nothing short of a divine blessing of everlasting sustenance, of which we are immensely grateful.

A short message from your loved ones:

Dear Mason,

We are forever grateful for the joy, laughter, love, and good memories that we have shared. Thank you for keeping your promise of never giving up — not on yourself, not on us in all our faults, or on the dream of a better way and better times for us all. Although we will never understand why you had to leave us so soon, we will look to the love you gave to sustain us in this life, until we meet again in the next. We love you, and we know you loved us. Aloha ‘Oe, until we meet again.