By Anna Weaver | Hawaii Catholic Herald

George K. Kagehiro, a deacon for the Diocese of Honolulu for the past 12 years, died Thursday, Aug. 16 at Straub Medical Center. The day before, he collapsed and hit his head while assisting at the 7 p.m. Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Wahiawa. He was 79.

His funeral is Aug. 25 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Wahiawa. Visitation begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by a Mass with ashes at 11 a.m.

Our Lady of Sorrows pastor Father Edgar Brillantes announced the deacon’s passing at weekend Masses, saying, “Now we have a saint in heaven that we can pray to.”

After he fell, Deacon Kagehiro was taken to Wahiawa General Hospital. He was then transferred to Straub and placed in the ICU where he later died.

Deacon Kagehiro was a member of the diocese’s fourth diaconate class and was ordained on July 19, 1995, at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa. He was a widower. His wife Rachel died in 1982. They had six children.

Kagehiro was born in Honolulu and attended Cathedral School in Nuuanu and St. Louis High School. He received a B.A. in education and a teaching certificate from the University of Hawaii. Kagehiro also served two years in the Marines.

He worked in the state Department of Education as a teacher and principal at several schools including Leilehua High School. He retired as an officer in the department in 1986.

After retirement, Kagehiro worked part-time as an evaluation assistant at the University of Hawaii and as an independent contract worker for the DOE. He was also on the board of trustees of the Hawaii Education Association and on the Wahiawa Ecumenical Board.

At his home parish of Our Lady of Sorrows he had served as a member of the parish finance committee, as a eucharistic minister, lector, hospital and prison minister, and prayer leader.

Deacon Kagehiro began studying for the diaconate in 1990. As a deacon, he later served on the deacon formation core team and mentored several of the deacons ordained earlier this year.

Our Lady of Sorrows secretary Janice Vannatta knew Deacon Kagehiro for more than 20 years and said he was a staunch supporter of UH football as well as a big part of parish life.

“His passing has really left a void in our community,” Vannatta said of the deacon’s sudden death, which left many parishioners shocked and grieving. “Deacon George was a living example for all of us on how to be of service to our church.”

“He was very much loved and respected by all those whose lives he touched,” she said.

Jonila Kim, Office of Worship secretary and an Our Lady of Sorrows parishioner had called Kagehiro on Aug. 15 to ask him if he could assist at the Mass of the Holy Spirit for Catholic educators at St. Ann Church the following Monday. The deacon replied jokingly that if Kim could “write me a note” to be excused from the jury duty he would be serving, he could do it.

“He was like the eye of the storm in times of chaos,” Kim said. “He was our calming force. There was this peace about him.”