Hawaii welcomes me home like a long-lost friend
The warm trade winds whisper "relax" in my ears
I see a rainbow in the clear blue sky after
A sudden shower and feel the Spirit of Aloha
The beaches around the islands call to me
With joy and freedom, I plunge in the crystal sea
Fishes of all colors gather around to greet me
Sunset paints the sky in pink and red to please
My eyes as I walk around Waikiki with a smile
Hawaii lulls me to slow down and enjoy the pace
Of Island life where time has little meaning
I dream of whales and dolphins on my flight
Home and feel the Spirit of Aloha in my heart
Dear son, brother, uncle and friend - Kapena touched many lives during his short time here with us. We will all remember him with love, and vow to take him home to his native Hawaii.
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11 comments:
Uncle Kapena, Chelle and I agree that our best memory of you is when we went camping with you on Lana'i many years ago. We got off of the small plane with our sleeping bags and camping gear, and you surprised us all with a weekend stay at the beatiful and ritzy Manele Bay Hotel. We were a little under-dressed for the entire weekend, but it was one small example of your love for the entire family. Thank you for all of the good times, we all love you!
What can I say about Kapena? He was a sweet and endearing friend. We met in the late 1980's in England while in the USAF. We had several mutual friends, and we did things together often. There were 5 of us who shared a house off base. Kapena, Dave, Joel, Tony, and Dan, we had some great times. After the military three of us moved to Sacramento California (Kapena, Dave, and Tony). Times were hard at first, as none of us had jobs. I believe it was Kapena who first got a job. Kapena went on to work in the airline industry. He moved up quickly from a gate agent, to a ramp agent, a supervisor, and later he became a flight attendant. He loved to travel. That is what I will always remember about Kapena, his sense of adventure, he was always wanting to do or see something new. I cherish our times together, and will miss him until I see him again someday.
I Love You Randolph Kapena Pope
Your Friend,
Dave Wynn Jr.
Sacramento Ca
I can't even remember how we met it's been soooo many years ago.
I do remember how quickly K.P. (just one of the nicknames I fondly remember) and I became friends. We were all so young, just boys really and so far away from home - yet we were serving our country as USAF soldiers. Kapena made it all seem like just an ordinary job. We would laugh about some of the crazy things we’d find with military life and here we doing it all while living and learning the British way of life.
As David said previously - we all banded together. We were close friends who shared our experiences; our problems; our successes; the holidays - we were a family, and I feel as if I have lost a brother.
We have lost one of our own - a friend who could never be replaced. I am saddened more that I found out too late to have shared some more laughs and maybe a tear with my friend, my brother.
Daniel Reagan-DuVau
St. Louis, MO
Thank you Dave and Daniel for sharing your memories of Kapena with us. He was blessed indeed to have such wonderful friends.
It's been stated before by Dave and Dan, but Kapena WAS like a brother. We all came together in the Air Force and became a family.
Things were rough back then in the mid eighties - during the Libya Crisis. Thank GOD we never saw actual combat, but we put in the long hours, sometimes 14 hour days. But we also played just as hard as we worked! We went to London every chance we could and I remember 1 particular halloween in London Kapena and I won prizes (and free drinks)for our similarly "feline" costumes. We both got such a kick out of that! In May, 2006, Kapena surpised me by showing up with Dave and Dan for my 40th birthday party. It made the memories of that weekend all the more special to have the "brothers" reunited and back together again. Kapena, my brother, my friend. You are loved and will be missed. Until we meet again. Tony G.
Military buddies from RAF Lakenheath, I remember visiting you in Hawaii where you took me to my first Cosco. RIP Robert Tkachuk
I also met Kapena at Lakenheath where he authored a newsletter our group of friends so enjoyed reading. Some years later Kapena lived with us in Los Angeles. Sad to lose an extended family member and kindred spirit. RIP Kapena. You are loved and remembered.
Wow... I'm just now finding this...I loved kapena dearly.... We stayed in touch for years after our stint in the USAF.. He visited me several times in Memphis. My heart is saddened by this news... He was very well loved..
Byron Brewer
Wow... I'm just now finding this...I loved kapena dearly.... We stayed in touch for years after our stint in the USAF.. He visited me several times in Memphis. My heart is saddened by this news... He was very well loved..
Byron Brewer
Byron,
I was just thinking about you the other day, how you use to sing Lionel Richie songs :-). Email me sometime, I would love to talk with you about times gone by, and see how things are with you.
Dave Wynn
(Daviwy@gmail.com)
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