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Kevin Matthew Roddy passed away in great peace, with his husband at his side and his favorite harp music filling the room, on April 9, 2025 in Honolulu at the age of 69. He lived a life of astonishing richness, having touched lives (human and non-human) across the globe with his kindness, empathy, selflessness, and wonderfully diverse passions. Kevin was born in Nebraska in 1955, the youngest of four children of Walter and Dorothy Roddy. At age 17, he graduated from high school early and flew to Israel to work on a kibbutz. Over the next 7 years he became proficient in Hebrew; afterwards he studied Arabic at Georgetown Univ., received a B.S. in Linguistics from UC-Berkeley, and became proficient in American Sign Language and fluent in Hawaiian. He received a Master’s in Library and Information Studies from UC-Berkeley in 1986, and worked for four years at Oakland Public Library. Kevin moved to the Big Island in 1991 with his then partner Butch Husted to become an Instructor, later a tenured Assistant Professor, at the UH-Hilo Library. The house they built in 1992 in Puna was later buried under 30 feet of lava by Madame Pele in 2018. In 2001 Kevin began studies at UH-Manoa, receiving a Master’s of Linguistics in 2007. His research included two 2-month field trips to Yap to document the language of the island of Satawal. He met his future husband Frank Sansone in 2001 on the North Shore of Oahu while surfing, and joined the Kapiolani Community College Library in Honolulu in 2002. He and Frank married in 2010. After retiring in late 2013, Kevin became a Certified Harp Therapy Practitioner in 2014 and a Certified Clinical Musician in 2023. He created musical experiences for patients using harps and handpans to promote multi-faceted wellness, volunteering at the Queen’s Medical Center and several hospices. Kevin also became very active in developing complex interactive websites for multiple non-profit organizations, including the Intl. Harp Therapy Program. In late 2023 he began Clinical Pastoral Education at the Pacific Health Ministry, and progressed to having 24-hour hospital shifts as the on-call Chaplain. Unfortunately, this new calling was abruptly cut short when his cancer treatment began in May 2024. Throughout his life Kevin continued to develop his spiritual path. After his Catholic childhood and his immersion into Judaism in Israel, he joined the (Wiccan) Reclaiming Collective in SF in 1985. In 2018, Kevin found the work of the Buddhist nun Pema Chodron. "Events and people who would make me angry, no longer had power…and I saw my life become tremendously better." Kevin especially relished hosting two nights of Winter Solstice parties every Dec. to celebrate Yule. It was pure Kevin in its Wiccan roots, unique hearty meal, diversity of guests, and spontaneous music. It’s a tradition that will continue on, with Kevin’s spirit drifting through the gathering, in the moonlight of the year’s longest night. Besides husband Frank and his family, Kevin is survived by sister Denny, brothers Terry and Pat, and hanai son Steve. Kevin’s ashes will be buried this summer at Otter Lake in Michigan, and Hawaii memorials are planned for this fall. Info on the memorials will be posted at kevinroddy.com, along with more details about Kevin’s remarkable life. |
