Gov. Neil Abercrombie has ordered that all national and Hawaii flags at state offices and agencies are to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset today in remembrance of former state Board of Education member Alexander “Lex” Hofgaard Brodie.

“This Saturday, the people of Hawaii will extend a final ‘Thank you, very much’ to Lex Brodie, an iconic member of our island community,” Gov. Abercrombie said. “Lex Brodie’s dedication to education, the community and small business helped to shape the state as we know it – as it grew from a territory to a state, and today continues toward greater potential. He recognized education as a means to realize that full potential.”

Brodie died Jan. 11 on Kauai at age 98. 

Brodie served from 1992 to 2003 on the BOE, often making unscheduled visits to public schools throughout the state to gain a clear picture of their most pressing issues. A former Waikiki Beach boy, he became a well-known businessman who founded Lex Brodie Tire Co. in 1961 and the Small Business Association of Hawaii (now Smart Business Hawaii) in 1976.