The phrase “only in Hawaii” is heard frequently enough to suggest that people here can have extraordinary lives. Such was the case for Joseph Hau‘oli Dowson Sr., whose life included major accomplishments in two completely unrelated careers: law enforcement and art.
Dowson died May 16 at age 88 after a brief illness.
Dowson had an inspiring, charismatic personality that guided his careers. He was a special investigator for the Honolulu Police Department under chiefs Dan Liu and Francis Keala, specializing
in homicide cases, but his “gift of gab” made him well suited for some of the more ceremonial aspects of police work, said Dowson’s wife, Iris.
In Hawaii, that meant escorting celebrities and VIPs around town.
“He could tell you stories about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton,” she said. “And he squired the president, Lyndon Johnson, around town … and the Queen of England. He did all that, because he was quite knowledgeable about everything.”
Dowson was a natural polyglot, picking up languages easily. From his Japanese-born grandmother, he learned a formal Japanese that came in handy when he escorted then-Prince Akihito around Hawaii. He also conversed fluently with Pacific Islanders of various nationalities and ethnicities, and could speak French and German as well, she said.
Dowson retired from the police force in 1976 after a 32-year career.
It was as an artist that Dowson used another natural talent. His abilities as a youth were so outstanding that, as punishment for misbehaving at Roosevelt High School, he would be assigned to paint murals on the walls for detention.
“The vice principal would have him go in the cafeteria and paint all these trees on the walls, coconut trees, papaya trees,” Iris Dowson said. He later lived with noted local biologist Otto Degener, who “would have him paint all his specimens,” she said. “Dr. Degener was very detail-oriented, and he would say, ‘Joe, you missed one of those follicles.’”
Despite those youthful experiences, Dowson did not begin his formal training in art until he was a police officer seeking to relieve the stress of his job, Iris Dowson said. He then became a prolific artist and noted art teacher.
His landscapes and seascapes, in watercolor and acrylic, reveal a remarkable energy, exuding the vibrancy and color of island life. In a 2010 video for Hawaii News Now, he discussed how art has changed in Hawaii during his lifetime — originally focusing almost exclusively on “tourist stuff” like Diamond Head, but now turning to items of Hawaiian culture, such as heiau or Hawaiian warriors.
His paintings have been displayed at local government offices, U.S. embassies in Tokyo and Bangladesh, the offices of United Airlines, and in private collections.
Dowson originated the Sunday Art Fence at the Honolulu Zoo, served as president of the Hawai‘i Watercolor Society, and received the Maoli Arts Month award in 2007. He also taught art for 44 years at adult classes for the Department of Education, one of the longest tenures for any teacher, helping many young artists along to a career in art.
“He just loved painting,” his wife said. “He never felt right if he didn’t paint every day.”
His artistic talent was passed on to his daughter, Ipo Nihipali, a widely known Hawaiian artist, while his abilities for police work were passed on to his son, Joseph Jr., an HPD captain. Other survivors include son Gaylord; daughter Roxanne Dowson-Medeiros; sister Marguerite Arciero; stepchildren Ryan Chang, Wendy Asato, Walter Chang Jr. and Wesley Chang; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and hanai son David Turk.
A celebration of life will be held at Borthwick Mortuary, Maunakea Chapel, on June 8. Visitation is at 9 a.m., and the service at 10:30 a.m.
