Oswald “Oz” Stender, who survived the turmoil of the Bishop Estate broken trust scandal and went on to serve 14 years on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, died this afternoon at the age of 90.

Stender’s family confirmed the death in a short statement:

“The Stender family confirms that Oswald “Oz” Stender passed away peacefully at home early this afternoon. Our family asks for respect and privacy at this time, as we grieve the loss of our “Oz” – a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather. Plans for a memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Stender was born in Hau‘ula in 1931 and received a scholarship to Kamehameha School for Boys. It was there he met his wife, Ku‘ulei Sequeira, before graduating in 1950.

He joined the Marines and served during the Korean War.

Back in Hawaii, Stender began his career as an assistant property manager at the Estate of James Campbell after graduating from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1958. He worked his way up to CEO, serving as the company’s top officer from 1976 to 1988 and senior advisor to the trustees from 1988 to 1990.

He served as trustee of Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate from 1990 to 1999, when he helped remove fellow trustee Lokelani Lindsey from her $1 million-a-year job over allegations of mismanagement and self-dealing.

The other trustees were ousted, and Stender resigned from the board, too. But he was soon elected to the OHA Board of Trustees from 2000 until his retirement in 2014.

“He was an exceptional man who worked exceptionally hard,” said former OHA Chairwoman Haunani Apoliona. “I feel so honored to have worked for him.”