Calvin Chon Han Kapuamohala Chai's Obituary
Celebrating the Life of Calvin Kapuamohala Chai.
Born on August 15. 1930 in Honolulu Hawaii where he grew up with his brother William ‘Willie’ and his sister Juanita ‘Nita’. Cal entered Kamehameha Schools Kapalama as a high school student and excelled in football, basketball and baseball. He graduated in 1948 with an athletic scholarship to the University of Denver.
After graduating from college in 1952, Cal was hired as a math teacher and basketball coach for a Raton, New Mexico high school. It was in Raton, that he met Cora Romero after being “fixed up” by one of his players. They obviously hit it off because they married 6 months later in 1953 and went on to have 3 children, Loretta, David , and Lenore; and 61 years of marriage together. Coach Chai moved back to Hawaii and joined the faculty at Kamehameha Schools in 1958 as a teacher and football and baseball coach where his winning seasons quickly began stacking up.
In 1968, Cal took a one year sabbatical to complete his masters in Colorado. While there he was an assistant football coach for the Colorado State University Rams and he and Cora welcomed many of the Hawaii students to their home during those snowy evenings.
Coach Chai returned to Kamehameha Schools Kapalama to coach baseball and in 1973 he became head football coach and the Athletic Director. Under his leadership, the number of teams doubled and student participation increased by more than 50%. While he was Athletic Director, Kamehameha won 177 intermediate, JV, varsity and state championships and gained the reputation as a perennial athletic powerhouse. By the time he retired in 1986, Calvin Chai had coached for 32 years, 28 of them at Kamehameha. He had a win/loss record of 189-54-4 which included nine ILH titles and three Prep bowls. He was recognized in 1976 for his gifts as a coach by being voted National High School Football Coach of the Year by the High School Football Coaches of America. Years later, in continued commemoration of his coaching legacy, the Mayor of Honolulu issued a proclamation declaring April 1,1995 officially Calvin Kapuamohala Chai Day in Hawaii.
Calvin Chai is lovingly remembered by his Ohana: Wife Cora, and his children Loretta and Tim Little, David and Deborah Chai, Lenore and Scott Patton; as well as his 9 grand-children Kainoa, Mika, Rachel, Casey, Nicole, Jason, Tamara, Phillip, and Kamaile; and his 2 little great-grandchildren Wesley and Avery.
Coach Chai’s Celebration of Life Service will be held at Kamehameha Schools Bishop Memorial Chapel on Sunday January 4, 2015 at 2:00 pm.
What’s your fondest memory of Calvin?
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Share a story where Calvin's kindness touched your heart.
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