Jacob Kanoi Keaweaheulu's Obituary
Jacob Kanoi Keaweaheulu March 1, 1952 – September 4, 2025. Jacob Kanoi Keaweaheulu, beloved father, brother, uncle, veteran, and mentor, passed away peacefully on September 4, 2025, at Queen’s Medical Center Hospital in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, at the age of 73. Born in Hilo,HI on March 1,1952 and grew up in the uplands of Kalaoa Mauka, Papaikou, to Mamerto Baldado and Cecilia Kaniho. Jacob lived a life rooted in aloha, service, and quiet strength. A proud graduate of Hilo High School and lifelong learner who pursued aeronautical studies at Embry-Riddle, Jacob served his country with honor as a U.S. Army veteran for 14 years as a Light Wheel Vehicle Mechanic and Utility Helicopter Technical Inspector. He later dedicated 37 years to Hawaiian Airlines as a lead aircraft technician in Honolulu and Hilo station, where his meticulous workmanship, disciplined approach, and unwavering attention to detail ensured the safety and excellence of every flight. He was known not only for his technical mastery but for spreading aloha and pono in every hangar, hallway, handshake and shaka. Jacob’s heart was always with his ohana and community. He is survived by his daughter Sarah Mihm of Fulda, Germany, four devoted sisters, Momi(Stanley) Ho of Pearly City,HI, Josephine(Joe)Santillanes ofAlbuquerque,NM, Magdaline(Li) Baldado of Waianaku, HI, and Dorene Baldado of Keaukaha, HI, three steadfast brothers, John (Shirley) Baldado of Kona,HI, Quentin(Rufina)Baldado, and James Baldado of Papaikou,HI and a wide circle of nieces, nephews, neighbors, and friends who knew him as family. Whether hauling opala, cutting grass, or tending to trees with his beloved tractors and mowers, Jacob found joy in caring for the land and those around him. He ran cross country in high school, but it was his lifelong sprint toward selflessness that defined him most. Jacob gave without hesitation, mentored with patience, and smiled with a warmth that could light up a room. He embodied aloha in every gesture—generous, giving, and always thinking of others before himself. Deeply proud of his Filipino and Hawaiian heritage, Jacob carried his cultural roots with reverence and pride. He was the neighbor who showed up before you asked, the uncle who sacrificed without fanfare, and the man who treated every person as part of his extended family. Jacob’s legacy lives on in the lives he touched, the lessons he taught, and the love he gave so freely. His memory will be honored in every act of kindness, every blade of grass trimmed with care, and every story told with smile, laughter and tears. A hui hou, Uncle Jacob. Your aloha lives on.
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