Mary Kahawaii

Mary Kahawaii, 62 of Kula, Maui passed away suddenly on August 5th, 2022. She was 62 years young.She was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 21st, 1960, and attended Bay Shore High School. She worked summers on Fire Island where she gained a reputation for being the life of the party, a title she’d carry throughout her life.

She moved to Hawaii when she turned 18 and took up various jobs in the hospitality industry. She was known for being a hard worker and loved to talk with her customers. She met her husband, Shem Kahawaii, while working at the Makena Gold Course and the two married on November 5th, 1988.

Mary loved to travel, enter contests, collect seashells, and garden. She also loved to surround herself with her friends and relatives and always had a party she was planning. In her free time, she’d often be found talking on the phone with her loved ones for hours.

She is survived by her husband Shem Kahawaii, children, Kailana and Shem “Mister”, her father, Andrew Bontempo, and Ocena, his wife, of Daytona Beach Florida, and siblings, Dawn, James, and Darren.

A celebration of life will be held at Waiohuli Community Center on October 27, 2022 at 10 a.m. and will be followed by a lunch service. Following the service, she will be laid to rest in Makawao Cemetery.