Former state governor George Ariyoshi died Sunday, April 19, at the age of 100.
Ariyoshi was the longest-serving governor in state history, with a 12-year tenure from 1974 to 1986, and the first Asian-American elected governor in the United States. He turned 100 on March 12.
Ariyoshi was Hawai‘i's third governor, and served as lieutenant governor for the second, John Burns, and became acting governor when Burns fell ill in 1973. Prior to that, he served in the Hawai‘i Territorial Legislature — first in the House, then the Senate — and, after Hawai‘i was granted statehood, he was a state senator.
Before entering politics, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II, working as a Japanese-English interpreter for the Army’s Military Intelligence Service. After the war, he received degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan Law School.
Several Hawai‘i lawmakers commemorated Ariyoshi, including Gov. Josh Green, who ordered Monday that the U.S. and state flags will be flown at half-staff at all state offices until the day of his memorial service, which has yet to be announced.
“Governor Ariyoshi devoted his life to Hawaiʻi with humility, discipline and an unwavering sense of responsibility to the people he served,” Green said in a statement. “He led our state during a pivotal moment with quiet strength and integrity, and his legacy as a trailblazer and public servant will endure for generations. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones.”
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi wrote that he "had a long and meaningful relationship with [Ariyoshi], more so than any other political figure in Hawai‘i." He added that Ariyoshi "led with humility, integrity, and a deep sense of responsibility to the people he served."
Hawai‘i Rep. Jill Tokuda also made a statement in honor of Ariyoshi, calling him “a model for how to live and lead with values and a strength of character.”
“The phrase that always comes to mind when I think of him is ‘kodomo no tame ni’ — ‘for the sake of the children,’” Tokuda wrote. “He led with that spirit every day, seeing all of us as his children and governing with a deep responsibility to protect our people, our lands, and our way of life for those yet to come.”
Hawai‘i Senator Mazie Hirono also made remarks, writing that Ariyoshi “helped Hawai‘i look to the future” in developing the Hawai‘i State Plan, a document published in 1978 which was the first comprehensive state plan for any U.S. state.
Ariyoshi is survived by his wife, Jean Ariyoshi.
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