Former state Rep. Gene Ward was remembered Friday for nearly 30 years of service in the Legislature and other accomplishments that included helping Native Hawaiians and people in poor countries around the world.
Ward, 82, died Friday morning after prolonged health issues kept him sidelined from the state Capitol since January and led him to resign Monday after representing his East Honolulu district, which includes Hawaii Kai, for 27 years.
During Friday’s House of Representatives floor session, Ward’s desk was adorned with a flower arrangement and lei. After adjourning, House members gathered around the desk still bearing Ward’s nameplate and sang “Hawai‘i Aloha.”
“Esteemed colleagues of the House, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to formally inform this body of the passing of our dear friend, my mentor and our colleague, Representative Gene Ward, who peacefully passed away early this morning,” said Rep. Diamond Garcia, a former office manager and chief of staff for Ward.
“Gene Ward was more than just a legislator,” said Garcia (R, Ewa-Kapolei). “He was a true statesman. He devoted his life to serving others, from the villages of the Peace Corps to the halls of this Capitol.”
Gov. Josh Green ordered U.S. and Hawaii flags to be flown at half-staff Friday through Monday at state facilities in recognition of what Green described as Ward’s unwavering service.
“The passing of Gene Ward is a profound loss for Hawaii,” Green said in a statement. “Gene dedicated his life to public service with passion, integrity and an unwavering commitment to the people he represented. From his service in the Peace Corps and the Vietnam War to his decades in the State House, he brought a global perspective and deep love for Hawaii to everything he did. His leadership in supporting small businesses, strengthening international relations and advocating for local communities has left a lasting impact on our state.”
Ward was born in Ohio and moved to Hawaii in 1965 where he trained in Hilo for volunteer Peace Corps service before being sent to Borneo, an island largely shared by Malaysia and Indonesia.
According to old campaign advertising, Ward became an assistant land development officer for the Malaysian Department of Agriculture, and his job included clearing 10,000 acres of jungle, establishing oil palm plantations and developing roads, bridges, villages and a school where he became principal.
“My crew chief for the jungle clearance project was an ex-head-hunter who used to squat down with me and smoke cigarettes while we planned our next step,” Ward was quoted in the ad. “It was a real hands-on lesson on working with people from incredibly diverse backgrounds.”
In 1969, Ward, who spoke Malay, Indonesian and Vietnamese, served in the U.S. Army as a language specialist with the Military Assistance Command in Vietnam.
Back in Hawaii, Ward earned a degree in Asian studies at the University of Hawaii and a doctorate in business sociology.
As part of his doctoral thesis, Ward studied success factors of Hawaiians in business compared with Caucasians in business, according to campaign advertisements, and that led him to co-found the nonprofit Hawaii Entrepreneurship Training and Development Institute in 1977 with George Kanahele to train unemployed people to start their own businesses.
Ward also for a time was a small-business owner with his wife, Faredah, a cousin of a past Malaysian prime minister whom Ward met in 1970 at the East-West Center. Ward and his wife imported and sold hand-painted batik fabrics from Malaysia in a store they opened in 1994 at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
Most of Ward’s career was spent in politics. He credited his Peace Corps service with leading him there.
“I’m a product of Kennedy idealism that put me in the jungles of Borneo without electricity or running water for two years to prove that you can make a difference,” he said in a campaign statement in the 1990s. “Without the Peace Corps experience, I would not be in politics.”
As a local Christian conservative GOP leader, Ward in 1988 was co-chair of the Pat Robertson for President Committee, an umbrella organization for new right-wing Republicans. After Robertson lost in the primary to then-Vice President George H.W. Bush, Ward led Hawaii’s delegation at the National Republican Convention in New Orleans and appeared on national TV to cast the state’s vote for Bush.
Ward also ran for the state House in 1988, but lost to Democrat Fred Hirayama by 250 votes for the seat then representing Hawaii Kai to Aina Haina.
Two years later Ward unseated Hirayama by nearly 300 votes — 4,249 to 3,958.
Also in 1990, Ward was honored in a Bush White House ceremony as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Minority Business advocate of the year.
Ward served in the House until 1998 when he tried to make a leap to Congress by running against Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep Neil Abercrombie, who later became governor.
After losing to Abercrombie, Ward became a presidential appointee under the Bush administration in a USAID office promoting democracy throughout the world from 1999 to 2004. Then Ward served as a Peace Corps country director for the Southeast Asian island nation of East Timor from 2005 to 2006 supervising humanitarian efforts with a $1 million budget.
Ward was reelected to his old House seat in 2006. Because Ward was a Republican in the Legislature heavily dominated by Democrats, it’s hard to cite bills introduced by the veteran House member that became law. But Ward backed many bills that were enacted, and often chastised his colleagues from the opposing party.
“Democracy is good when there are differences of opinions,” said Garcia. “When debate happens, that’s not a bad thing. It’s a good thing and we need more debate.”
Garcia recalled one instance in 2018 when Ward was trying to question officials in Gov. David Ige’s administration about a missile attack alert that was sent to the public by mistake and took 38 minutes to correct.
“Please indulge me … I’ve waited for an hour and a half,” Ward said to a House colleague running the meeting as he tried to ask more than two questions. “Please don’t cut me off.”
Ward was cut off, and flung his microphone down in disgust as he left the meeting room.
“Typical Gene,” Garcia said. “He could get fiery at times, but he was always passionate. He would make sure that his thoughts were spoken loud and clear no matter what.”
House Republican Leader Lauren Matsumoto said in a statement that during her 12 years in the Legislature with Ward, he would always say that Republican members might not have the votes but have the voice. “And he lived up to that ideal every day he served,” Matsumoto said.
Over the years, Ward held multiple leadership roles, including House minority leader, House minority policy leader and, most recently, House minority caucus leader for the 2025 legislative session.
Ward introduced several bills this year backed by colleagues, including one to establish a general excise tax holiday on the first Saturday of each month for Hawaii small businesses, one to legalize recreational use of cannabis by adults no younger than 21, one to replace a parking lot around Iolani Palace with a pedestrian promenade, and one to limit legislative terms to 12 years.
However, since the beginning of this year’s legislative session on Jan. 15, Ward had not been present at the state Capitol due to health issues.
On March 21, Ward released a statement explaining that he had been experiencing anemia, sciatica, pneumonia and other health challenges that prompted him to resign from office effective March 31.
“Despite the many efforts of medical professionals, my recovery has been much slower and more painful in the last few weeks,” he said.
House Speaker Nadine Nakamura on Friday extended heartfelt condolences to Ward’s family and community.
“Representative Ward served the East Honolulu community and the State of Hawaii with unwavering dedication, determination, and spirit,” she said in a statement. “His institutional knowledge, leadership, and flair were appreciated by colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Ward’s contributions leave a lasting impact in the Legislature and throughout our state.”
Former Gov. John Waihe‘e III recognized Ward for his service, which included twice being on the East-West Center’s Board of Governors.
“Gene’s unwavering commitment to service was truly inspiring, and his tenacity pushed us all to aim higher,” Waihe‘e, the center’s current board chair, said in a statement. “Even in times of opposition, he approached conversations with respect and aloha. Our community will not be the same without him, and we will carry his memory forward in our service to the Center’s mission that he cared about so deeply.”
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, called Ward a statesman and genuinely effective member of the loyal opposition.
“The people of Hawaii Kai and the people of Hawaii have lost a very good and decent public servant,” Schatz said in a statement.
Funeral service and public memorial arrangements are to be announced at a later date.
