Sunday, April 08, 2018

Daniel Akaka

Former U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, the humble and gracious statesman who served in Washington with aloha for more than 3-1/2 decades, died early Friday morning at the age of 93. He had been hospitalized for months and died at The Villas, a St. Francis care facility.

Akaka, the first Native Hawaiian to serve in the U.S. Senate, was a strong advocate for Native Hawaiians and veterans during a political career that started in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976 and ended in the U.S. Senate in 2013.

Known for a modest political style and described as the embodiment of the aloha spirit, Akaka was widely respected in the islands and Washington. But he rarely sought the national spotlight and instead worked largely under the radar, focusing on issues important to Hawaii.

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