Butch Kahawai, a former pastor, is now seeking the office of State Representative in the State of Hawai’i, 16th district, County of Kauai as a Democrat. The O'ahu native was born to Thomas and Henrietta Kahawai of Nanakuli on July 8, 1942. He attended Nanaikapono Elementary School till 9th grade, and then attended Waipahu High School and graduated in 1960. After high school, he enlisted in the Uni
ted States Airforce and trained at Lackland Airforce Base in San Antonio Texas. He received additional technical training at Keesler Airforce Base in Biloxi Mississippi during the height of the Civil Rights movement. Afterwards he served two years at the Misawa Base in Japan during the Vietnam era. He then served a year and a half at Castle Airforce Base in Merced California during the Cold War. He left the Airforce in 1964 and returned to Nanakuli and worked in construction, and also did work for the U.S. Navy, storing ammunition for the Naval Ammunition Depot, supplying the 7th fleet with munitions. He was also involved in the Model Cities program mandated by President Lyndon Johnson and administered by Henry Peters ,who would later to become State Rep for the west side of Oahu and Speaker of the House. It was during this time that Butch’s eldest daughter, Dorreann was born. In 1976 he attended Leeward college and studied computer science. He then married the girl next door (literally) Jo-Ann Kahikina in 1977. They moved to Fort Wayne Indiana in 1978 where Butch attended Fort Wayne Bible Collge (now Taylor University) and graduated Cum Laude in 1982 with a degree in Pastoral Ministry and Theology and a minor in Greek Language. While there the couple gave birth to their son Luke. After graduation, Butch returned with his family to Oahu where he became an ordained Pastor in the Missionary Church. He served as interim pastor at Kalaheo Missionary Church from July 1984- June 19on the island of Kauai. He accepted the position of Senior Pastor at Nanaikapono Protestant Church in July 1985 back in his hometown of Nanakuli. He served there for five years, during which time his youngest daughter RuthAnn was born. The family moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1990 where butch attended Regent University to work towards a Masters degree in law and public policy. In 1992 Butch received a call from Kalaheo Missionary Church asking him to return to Kauai as their Senior Pastor. He accepted and the family moved back to Kaua’i in May of 1992. Three months before Hurricane Iniki hit the island. He served at Kalaheo for 12 years. After leaving he worked briefly at Home Depot. He now currently works for Steadfast Housing Development Corporation as a Resident Manager. Since 2004 he has volunteered his services at New Hope Kauai in Kapa’a where he continues to serve today. Originally Butch never considered running for office himself. Instead he reached out to others he thought more qualified. Finally someone asked him “Why not you?”. He couldn’t come up with a reason not to, so he filed his papers the following week. Butch states “I want to restore faith and confidence in our government and the democratic process. People have become apathetic about the democratic process, especially our younger people. Things are not Pono! Ua Mau Ke’ea o Ka’aina i ka Pono! The life of this land needs to be perpetuated once again in righteousness!”
by RuthAnn Silva
