Austin Dias

He attended Kilauea School, Kapaʻa High School and then went on to Leuzinger High School in California, where he graduated in 1959. He attended the University of California-Santa Barbara, where he played quarterback on the football team. While he was there he earned his undergraduate and Master’s degrees and then went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his Ph.D. in Spanish Literature.

A Vietnam Veteran, Austin was a professor at the University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa for 36 years, acting as Department head of Languages and Literature of Europe and the Americas for many of those years.

He enjoyed exercising, eating, his ʻohana, and most especially his grandchildren.

Austin is survived by Barbara Dias and Doss Tannehill; siblings Patricia and John Balmores, Stella Stewart, Keith and Clara Dias, Donald Kim; children Christopher A. Dias, Jessica A. Dias Tafao, Ali Dias Marumoto, Benjamin J. Dias; and grandchildren Diego Pola Tafao, Joaquin Ifo Tafao, Viggo Kennethson Tafao, Mākua Austin Marumoto, Haumea Barbara Marumoto, Kahikina Kellan Marumoto and Safiya Catherine Dias.