Government officials and friends are mourning the passing of retired Hawaii State Supreme Court Justice Mario R. Ramil, who died Monday.

“He was smart, honest,” former Gov. Ben Cayetano said. “He was a very decent human being.”

Ramil, 70, served on the Hawaii State Supreme Court from 1993 to 2002 and was the second person of Filipino ancestry to serve as a Hawaii Supreme Court Justice.

Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald described Ramil as a warm caring person, an outstanding justice and a true public servant who dedicated his life to serving the people of Hawaii.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Justice Ramil,” Recktenwald said. “Our sympathies go out to his wife Judy, and their sons Jonathan and Bradley.”

Ramil also served in other public offices in Hawaii, including the state’s insurance commissioner, the state labor department director, and as deputy Attorney General.

“Justice Ramil served the people of Hawaii with distinction in a number of capacities over the course of two decades in public service,” Gov. David Ige said.

“We will remember his many contributions to the people of our state and to the Filipino community in particular.”