Oswald “Oz” Stender, who rose above the turmoil of the Bishop Estate’s “Broken Trust” scandal and went on to serve 14 years as an Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee, died Wednesday. He was 90.

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

Oswald Kofoad Stender was born in Hauula 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 then joined the Marines and served from 1951 to 1954 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 adviser to the trustees from 1988 to 1990.

Former Campbell CEO Clint Churchill said Stender was instrumental in moving forward the development of Kapolei as Oahu’s Second City.

“He was a mentor and friend and beloved by his fellow employees. I don’t know anybody who didn’t think the world of him,” Churchill said.

Stender was appointed to the trustees of the Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate in 1990 and served until 1999, when he was instrumental in removing fellow trustee Lokelani Lindsey from her $1 million-a-year job over allegations of mismanagement and self-dealing.

He filed suit to remove Lindsey, saying she was unfit for her job — and the courts agreed.

Hugh Jones, a former deputy attorney general who investigated the trustees’ misconduct, said Stender deserves a lot of credit for coming forward to protect his alma mater and the beneficiaries of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop’s charitable trust from the abusive conduct by Lindsey.

“That was not easy for him to do, I’m sure. It took a great deal of courage to put his name and reputation on the line to sue for the removal of Lokelani Lindsey,” Jones said.

The other trustees were ousted in 1999, and Stender ended up resigning from the board, too, in order to preserve the multibillion-dollar estate’s tax-exempt status. Those who knew him at the time called his actions “an honorable and even inspiring gesture on his part” that demonstrated his “selfless commitment” to the Kamehameha ohana.

The scandal, which was exposed in the “Broken Trust” essay published by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in 1997, led to reforms in the KSBE trustee appointment process, among other things.

But Stender was not done with public service. He joined the OHA board of trustees in 2000 and served until his retirement in 2014.

Former OHA Chairwoman Colette Machado said she was saddened to hear of Stender’s passing.

“He was a remarkable man,” she said. “Whatever he did was a contribution to the Native Hawaiian people, to improve conditions for them. He was a good man with a good heart.”

Both Machado and Apoliona said Stender’s expertise in business and finance gave OHA trustees the upper hand in helping to bolster the agency’s financial position. Stender, for example, almost single-handedly engineered the purchase of the Na Lama Kukui retail center, OHA’s current headquarters in Iwilei, they said.

Stender also worked as a licensed consultant and broker at American Land Co. since 1999.

Throughout his career, he served as chairman, trustee or board member of numerous local entities, including the Abigail Kawananakoa Foundation, Aloha United Way, Awaiaulu Inc., East-West Center Foundation, Friends of Iolani Palace, Grace Pacific Corp., Hawaii Community Reinvestment Corp., Hawaii Employers Council, Hawaii Tax Free Trust, Hawaiian Electric Industries, Helping Hands Hawaii, Kahi Mohala, Kawaiahao Church Advisory Board, Lanikai School Board, Liliuokalani Trust Advisory Board, Pacific Gateway Inc., Pacific Housing Alliance Association and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii

Stender was described as “humble, hard-working, and forthright” in a 2019 resolution passed by the state Legislature to honor his accomplishments and “lifetime of dedicated service to the Native Hawaiian community.”

“Oz was a good man, a man deeply rooted in his ohana,” Apoliona said. “He will continue to be a model for all of us to embrace and celebrate. His service in all facets of work will continue to resound into the future of Hawaii.”

Stender’s family confirmed his death in a short statement Wednesday evening:

“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.”

The family said plans for a memorial service will be announced at a later date.