Tom Dinell

Death date: Dec 9, 2025

Tom Dinell -- beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, educator, mentor, community leader, and longtime resident of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi -- died peacefully at home on December 9, 2025, at the age of 97, surroun Read Obituary

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CARED FOR BY

Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary at Valley of the Temples

47-200 Kahekili Highway, Kaneohe HI 96744

808-824-3425

Kevin “Pontificate” Sean

4d ago

Following my discharge and service in the military in 1971, graduating from the UH Manoa with a BA in Zoology, I found my way to PUSPP and its digs at Maile Way. I had the good fortune of studying under Tom, who prepared me well for a career with state and federal agencies in the islands and Mainland. I will be eternally grateful to the man for giving my career a healthy kick-start and giving me the tools for succeeding in the policy, planning, program development and budgeting positions in which I served.

On a more personal note, I recall taking his young sons and daughter to UH football games in his VW bus. Always fun times. Tom had a great family.

Mahalo Tom, thank you for being a mentor. Reast in Peace. Aloha my friend. Kelvin Char

Malia Lehman

17w ago

Malia Lehman

17w ago

John Lehman

18w ago

Bt

18w ago

Going to Hilo Airport with Tom working on a Hewlett Foundation grant where we almost missed the flight back home to Honolulu. We were so far from the terminal, but like two bats out of hell, we took off running like fools. Nearly out of breath, we saw that a door to one of the ramps leading to the tarmac was open...so off we went running again. And then we noticed security was running after us too, and wondered where they were going. We reached the gate in time but had so much explaining to do that we missed our flight. Intellectual rigor combined with slapstick humor. I laugh when I think about this, even all those years later...and this was just one Tom Dinell story. I love this man, for all the heart and humor, and soul he has shared with so many of us.

Mary Lou Kobayashi

23w ago

in honor of Tom.

Tom was a consultant on various planning projects for the Hawaii State Office of Planning. He was a joy to work with. He skillfully led or facilitated groups to obtain ideas and recommendations to solve various planning problems and develop recommendations. He also had suggestions to help the groups move forward when they seemed to get stuck. But more than that he was a warm and friendly person.

A lighted pale blue candle with a small white flower and a few leaves at its base, set against a soft blue background.