A strong work ethic from Dad set the example
Posted on May 26, 2016 in Main
Governor Ige said his dad never talked much about serving in the decorated 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II, or about his Purple Heart and Bronze Star, or the challenges of raising six sons on a steelworker’s paycheck.
But the governor said his father, Tokio, was a man who led by example and wanted the best for his family. “He made sure we had an education — one associate degree, five bachelor’s degrees and six master’s degrees — and the opportunities he never had.”
The governor also remembers his dad as a man good with his hands who made the most of a tight budget. “We were catching crabs from the riverbank in Waialua when he saw a man with a wooden boat. He said, ‘We should do that.’ So he built us a rowboat, and our catch really improved. We didn’t have a whole lot, but my parents made sure we experienced the joys of living in Hawai‘i.”
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Photo: 1991 opening day of Legislature