George J. G. Maguire

George James Green Maguire, “Keoki”, “Mac”, “Ging” 76, of Mililani was born on December 22, 1945. He passed away on December 3, 2022, in home hospice while being lovingly tended to by his wife and youngest niece. He fought a long battle with brain cancer first discovered in January 2015. He astonished his doctors by living far beyond the expected prognosis of eighteen months. He was born in Honolulu and raised in Kapahulu and Hau‘ula, although his ancestral roots were in Waiohinu and Ka‘ū on Hawai‘i through his mother’s line.

A 1963 Kaimuki High School graduate, he briefly worked for O‘ahu Railroad, as well as Hawaiian Tug and Barge. He earned an A.A. degree from Hartnell Junior College in Salinas, CA before being drafted into the Army. Following a year of training, he was based in Berlin for one year. He rounded out his military commitment with a year’s tour in Viet Nam and was a Bronze Star recipient.

His best friend since 7th grade, the late Brian Martin, encouraged him to return to college to complete his engineering degree. He attended UH for a few semesters before choosing to enter the federal work force with a temporary assignment to stack munitions at Lualualei.

He began his permanent work career at PWC (Public Works Center) as a laborer. He trained as an electrician, working up to journeyman, planner, and inspector. When PWC created a new shop for UPS and Fire Alarm, he was chosen to be its first general foreman. He was further promoted and retired in 1999 as the Maintenance Superintendent in charge of Barbers Point. He was held in such esteem that Barbers Point as well as Pearl Harbor branches both gave him retirement parties. He was very deeply moved by this outpouring of aloha.

A man of many talents, Keoki had a multitude of interests. These included spear fishing, laying kākā line, snorkeling, scuba diving, deep sea trolling, baseball, tennis, photography, poetry, Kealakaa Street neighborhood handyman, kite flying, koa woodworking, cooking for his wife and ‘ohana, genealogy, reading old Hawaiian newspapers, gardening, art, making home movies, Easter egg dyeing contests; the list goes on.

As a young man he asked to learn Kiho‘alu (slack key) from a paniolo, the late Steve (Stephen) Lindsey, who showed him the basics and said, “the rest is up to you.” This led to a lifelong passion and cherished associations with many legends of Hawaiian music. While at UH, he formed a slack key trio, Na Hoaloha, with Kaniela Akaka Jr. and the late Elekona (Eldon) Akamine. Under the mentorship of the late Palani Vaughan, they took part in the first Slack Key Concert held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and the concert “Hawai‘i’s Stars Presents Hawai‘i’s Youth”. He won a Kiho‘alu contest with an original composition titled “Kiwini” in honor of Steve Lindsey.

He was thrilled and honored to be among the group of musicians to receive an award from the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame for their musical contributions to the Ka Leo Hawai‘i radio program on KCCN, founded in the 1970’s by UH teacher Larry Kauanoe Kimura (now an Associate Professor at UHH) and UH students. It was created to encourage the learning and use of ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. None of them knew at that time that they were a part of what decades later came to be known as The Hawaiian Renaissance.

In his makua years, he played with Walter Carvalho, Pam Garza, and John Kama as Ho‘omānalo and lastly with Kua‘ana, which was composed of a rotating group of musicians. He was the heart and soul of an informal kanikapila group Po‘e Aloha Le‘a (PAL) that has been gathering a few times a year since 1992. What began as a reunion of UH club Hui Aloha ‘Āina Tuahine, after several sessions morphed into a musicians and hula dancers jam fest. He was a ready, cheerful, and knowledgeable resource for many seeking assistance with ‘ike, mo‘oku‘auhau, wahi pana, and mele.

When he set a goal he could be tenacious. Through Kaniela and Elekona, he met Ka‘i‘ini while at UH and on her 20th birthday introduced her to his mother. As soon as they departed, his mother called her cousin and said, “George has met the girl he is going to marry.” Little did he guess it would be 9 years before she said yes! They celebrated 41 years of marriage in August 2022. He was her musician and she was his hula dancer. Though the decision was made not to have children, Keoki and Ka‘i‘ini became beloved Uncle and Aunty to a multitude of nieces and nephews, both ‘ohana and hānai.

Survived by his wife, Chelo Ka‘i‘ini Garza-Maguire, brothers John J. Jr., and Charles T., numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Predeceased by parents John J. Sr. and Katherine (aka Ooma or Rena), brother William H. (aka Bill, aka Maggie), sisters Merna J. and husband Albert Kaunui Kin In Sr., and Katherine S. (aka Kay) and husband Peter Pires, nephews Albert Kaunui Jr. (aka Buckie) and James (aka Kimo) (Lei) Kin In, and niece, Cynthia (aka Cindy) K. Kin In Akina (Keone) Ancheta.

Services: February 24, 2023 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Borthwick Mortuary

1330 Maunakea Street

Honolulu HI 96817

Mauka Chapel

10:00 a.m. Visitation

11:00 a.m. Military Honors and Funeral Service

Lunch to follow, musicians invited to kanikapila till 2:00 p.m.