Harry Denis Kauhane, 83, born in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, on December 21, 1936, died in West Palm Beach, Florida, on January 16, 2020. Harry was truly a loving husband, father, uncle, brother and friend to many, known for always greeting you with a big smile, a warm embrace, and if you were lucky, a meal he cooked full of his aloha.
Harry attended the University of Maryland, Maryknoll School, Kamehameha School, and graduated from
Kaimuki High school, Hawai‘i, in 1954. He served as an altar boy at Saint Patrick's Catholic Church during his youth. When Harry was 12 his mother died, and he was raised by his father, siblings and Aunties. After graduation, he joined the Air force. He was stationed in Alabama and Mississippi and flew for the Air Force as a radio operator traveling to Japan and Korea often. After leaving the Air Force Harry returned to Hawai‘i working for the gas company. He decided to leave Hawai‘i to look for other employment and moved to Denver staying with his sister, Lani. He then moved to Virginia to stay with his sister, Velma, and worked for Melpar drafting designs for medical transport vans. While at Melpar, he met Russell Fitch, Donald Rice, and Toby Cabrall and moved to Hunting Towers in Virginia. His roommates encouraged him to put together a portfolio of his work to present to the National Geographic Society (NGS). However, Harry did not present it, Russ did. Harry was hired and began a 33-year career at NGS starting as a Cartographic/Artist. He was promoted to many positions including Name Compilation, Base Compilation, Research, Editing, and Assistant Director, Cartography Research at the time of his retirement in 1994. Some of the many projects he worked on include the U.S. Globe, U.S. Wall Map, and the World Atlas. He was a friend, gentleman, and mentor to staff and could perfectly hand write in any map font.
Harry met his wife, Georgette Joyce, at a party at Hunting Towers at “Chuck Down the Halls” apartment.
Everyone had a name. Georgette was “Tiger”, and Harry was “Harry the Hawaiian”. They dated for six months and married on January 26, 1963, at St. Peters Episcopal Church in Essex Falls, New Jersey. They were married for 57 years and lived and raised their two children, Cheryl and Paul, in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Harry formed a Hawaiian band, “The Sons and Daughters of Hawai‘i”, and entertained at many venues
throughout the Washington, DC, area including Fort Myers Officers Club, private parties, and country clubs. Because of his beautiful voice, he was often asked to sing the Hawaiian Wedding Song at weddings and parties. Harry enjoyed playing the guitar, singing Hawaiian music, reading, doing crossword puzzles, watching Jeopardy, cooking, and golfing.
Georgette and Harry moved to Hedgesville, WV, in 2007, where they built their house on the 7th golf fairway. Harry was a starter for The Woods golf courses where he loved giving hugs and talking to the men and women golfers.
He and Georgette traveled to Florida to their Palm Beach Shores condo in November from their home in West Virginia. The past year he endured chemo treatment for pancreatic cancer and complications from sepsis. During this time he still maintained his wit and caring and kind personality.
Harry is survived by his wife, Georgette, daughter, Cheryl, son, Paul, sisters Isabelle MacGregor and Velma Warpole, brother, Ronnie Kauhane, and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by brother, Robert Kauhane, sister, Evalani Slabaugh, mother, Annette Kauhane, and father, Robert Kauhane.
In lieu of flowers and in his memory, if you wish, please donate to one of the following:
The Kohala Center Trustbridge Hospice Pauahi Foundation
(www.kohalacenter.org) 5300 East Ave. Kamehameha School
PO Box 437462 West Palm Beach, FL 33407 Class of 1954
Kamuela, HI 96743 567 South King St, Suite 160
Honolulu, HI 96813
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