HENRY TOKUICHI KANESHIRO

Age 97, died Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at his residence in Honolulu, Hawaii. Henry was born in Kapahi, Kauai, Hawaii on March 4, 1921 to parents Tokunoshin and Kame Kaneshiro both from Okinawa, Japan. He attended the Kalaheo Elementary School through the eighth grade. His first job was sweeping the floors of the Lawai pineapple cannery. He had an entrepreneurial nature, and humbly said he just acted quickly as opportunities came to him. His sweetheart Gladys Tamanaha was what brought him to Honolulu in 1941, and they were soon married. He remembered paying $5 for the boat ride from Port Allen Harbor to the Aloha Tower in Honolulu Harbor. He was hired on as a civilian worker in the bunkers at Red Hill where he watched the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He once purchased a grocery store in the Mapunapuna area so he could use the parking lot to sell used cars. The highlight of Henry’s career and his last venture was the development of private refuse service in Hawaii which began with ALOHA DISPOSAL. He later divided his business among his siblings and children, creating many separate private refuse companies. He would jokingly say that he began his working career picking up rubbish as a young man, held many interesting jobs in between, and ended his career picking up rubbish. Henry loved the ocean, and Ala Moana Beach in particular. For decades he visited the beach daily swimming, stretching, walking, or riding his bicycle with his small dog in the basket. He was "Mr. Aloha" with a smile and friendly conversation to locals and tourists alike. He loved to see their surprised faces when he revealed his age. He lived a healthy lifestyle and let people know that was the key to longevity. As he often looked back on his life, he realized God blessed him abundantly, and he would say, "I have no regrets." Henry is survived by his sons David (Priscilla, deceased), Dean, and Dennis (Brenda) Kaneshiro; daughter Diane (Richmond) Ching; sister Sueko "Sue" or "Amy" Uechi; grandchildren Cyndi Kaneshiro, Daverine (Steven) Timmons, Stacy (Craig) Okutani, Deanne (Todd) Muraoka; Candace (Aukai) Pruett, Nikki, Kelsey, Elijah, Tabitha, Elisabeth, and Esther Kaneshiro; 17 great-grandchildren; and 8 great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Tokue "Paul", Tokukchi "Jimmy", Yonoichi, Hideo "Hide", Matsui "Matsu" (Nancy), and Hiroshi "Hiro" (Tetsuko) Kaneshiro. Memorial services will be held at the Honolulu- Japanese Seventh-day Adventist Church at 2655 Manoa Road, Honolulu, Hawaii on Sunday, June 24, 2018 at 6:30 pm. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Dinner to follow.

Arrangements Provided By: Nuuanu Memorial Park & Mortuary LLC