Byron Shigemi Kawachi's Obituary
Born on Oct. 11, 1954 in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii to Richard S. Kawachi & Mitsue "Yoshida" Kawachi. Byron was the second oldest in our family of five. He also had two sisters from Hilo.
He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1972 and was nicknamed the "Bear" .... I don't know if it was because of his size 5' 10" , his build, or for his gentleness, his happy-go-lucky, carefree personality. To me, he was all that and much much more. He played on the football team & loved to dance on the field as I remember.....I believe it was to a theme song " The Horse". I loved going to the games hoping to see him get called to dance. Very exciting ! ! !
He attended Olivet Baptist Church for a few years. Took his dad w/ him & made friends there. I was happy to hear that they still remembered my brother Byron after so many years of not going. And they still considered him a member. How blessed he was to have not been forgotten by them. Thank you for loving & caring for him. God Bless! Byron was just unforgettable!
He loved music ! ! Always wore his walkman wherever he went. Owned many CD's, Dvd's & yes even cassette tapes and went through several boomboxes & Walkmen. Listening to music brought him joy, comfort & meaningfulness. I remember he always looked forward to watching "American Bandstand" & "Soul Train" ... all the dancing programs on tv. For some reason one of his favorite soundtracks was from "Car Wash" & loved Motown. Music was part of his Heart & Soul.
He enjoyed watching martial arts & action movies. His favorite kung fu movies were from the Shaw Brothers & of course the one & only Bruce Lee & Jackie Chan. Sonny Chiba & Zatoishi were also his favorites.
Byron lived life to the fullest, as best as he could. No matter how difficult his hardships were he somehow always managed to pull through. He had been undergoing dialysis for over 10 years. Been to many different care-homes. Attended Waipahu Aloha Clubhouse, where he had made many friends.
He will always be remembered as a kind, gentle & humble spirit who never asked for much in life. He just wanted to be loved & cared for & respected? Loved mom & dad. Believed in God. Read the bible often, daily. So often that it was was nearly falling apart at the seams. "BEAR" was also an awesome dancer..w/ that robot (locker-room) style moves. Right-on ! !
WE LOVE YOU, BYRON, & MISS YOU DEARLY ! !
Parents :
Richard S. Kawachi
Mitsue Kawachi
Survived by siblings:
Beverly Lafita from Hilo
Glenn Kawachi
Lisa Kawachi
Other siblings that have passed on :
Motoko "Shirley" Takushi
Jamie K. Kawachi
Janet Hara from Hilo
Services will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2018 - 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. - Olivet Baptist Church, 1775 S. Beretania Street - Honolulu, HI 96826.
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