David "Kaui" Kauinohea Alama Jr.

David Kauinohea “Kaui” Alama Jr., 81, of Oʻahu, passed away overnight, leaving behind a lifetime of stories, laughter, service, friendship, and love.

Born on November 8, 1944, to Geraldine Souza Alama and David Kauinohea Alama Sr., Kaui grew up with deep roots in Hawaiʻi and a strong sense of family, loyalty, and community. He was a proud 1962 graduate of Kamehameha Schools, where he formed a tight knit group of friends who remained part of his life and his story for decades.

After high school, Kaui answered the call to serve his country. He served honorably in the United States Air Force from September 1963 to September 1967, carrying with him the discipline, pride, and quiet strength of a veteran. His service did not end when he took off the uniform. Kaui went on to work for Qantas and Pan Am, building friendships that lasted long after the flights ended. His Pan Am buddies remained close, proof that when Kaui made friends, he kept them.

Kaui also worked for the government for many years, as the fleet manager for the United States Marine Corps, continuing a life of service in a different way. Whether helping others, solving problems, or simply showing up when people needed him, he had a way of making people feel taken care of. He was generous with his time, his humor, his knowledge, and his heart.

And then there were the hot rods.

Kaui loved cars, especially hot rods, and he loved the people who came with them. He enjoyed Hot August Nights and his weekly Thursday meetups with his “hot rod” gang at Wendy’s in Kapolei. To some, it may have looked like cars in a parking lot. To Kaui, it was fellowship. It was chrome, coffee, stories, teasing, laughter, and friendship. The cars may have brought them together, but the people kept him coming back.

Kaui was clever, quick witted, and sharp with a pen. He had a gift for writing in a way that made people laugh, think, and feel included. His humor was one of his greatest tools. He could lighten a room, soften a hard day, and leave people smiling long after the conversation ended. He did not need to be the loudest person in the room to be remembered. He just needed one well-timed comment, one grin, or one story that somehow got better every time he told it.

More than anything, Kaui made people feel like they belonged. He was a father, grandfather, veteran, friend, classmate, coworker, car guy, storyteller, and steady presence. He lived a life built on relationships. He served. He laughed. He helped. He showed up. And in the end, that is the kind of legacy that does not fade.

Kaui is survived by his daughter, Anne Carpenter, née Alama, and his granddaughter, Quinne Carpenter, his longtime companion Mina Ito, along with his siblings Darlene Alapai, Kimo Keaulana, and Cindy Nobriga, lifelong friends, Kamehameha classmates, Pan Am buddies, government coworkers, and his beloved hot rod gang.

Kaui’s family invites all who knew him to come together, share stories, laugh when the memories call for it, and honor a man whose life was measured not only by the years he lived, but by the people he loved, the friendships he kept, and the joy he left behind.

He will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and carried forward every time family gathers, friends tell stories, engines turn over, and someone chooses to do the right thing with a little humor and a whole lot of heart.

Services will be held on Thursday, August 6, at 1:30 p.m. at Hawaiian Memorial Park Cemetery and Funeral Services, 45-425 Kamehameha Highway, Kaneohe, HI 96744.

A private burial will be held at a later date at the Kaneohe Veterans Memorial Cemetery.