[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 110 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3087-H3088]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REMEMBERING ROBERT KALEIMOMI KEKAULA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Hawaii (Mr. Kahele) for 5 minutes.

[[Page H3088]]

  

  Mr. KAHELE. Mr. Speaker, it is with profound sadness that I stand 
before you to share the passing of a legendary news and sports 
broadcaster, an accomplished musician, a father, friend, and son of 
Hawaii, Robert Kaleimomi Kekaula, who unexpectedly passed away last 
Saturday in Hawaii at 56 years of age.
  In order to tell you about Robert, I must do so with great respect to 
his chosen career path and success as the consummate communicator.
  Where, when, and how quickly he acquired his excellent skills, 
whether at his high school alma mater, the Kamehameha Schools, the 
University of Hawaii, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 
communications, or throughout his experience as a Native Hawaiian 
growing up on Hawaii Island, I can't say.
  Yet what I can say with certainty is that Robert held the powerful 
ability of talking to people; not about people, but to people. And he 
did it exceedingly well, with thousands, including myself, for 35 years 
in the broadcast industry.
  It is quite possible that his talents were not learned skills at all, 
but, rather, God-given gifts that he so willingly shared with all of 
us. I would be hard-pressed to find a living room or dining table in 
Hawaii that did not at some point during that time welcome in Robert 
Kekaula and his daily evening news and sports reports.
  The reason, Robert connected with people. For him, people came first, 
before the stories, before the news. He understood that the primary 
role of the news, of the media was to improve people's lives. It was 
not to be sensational. It was not to stoke conflict. It was to inform.
  That sincerity, that genuine care, from a man with that unmistakable 
baritone voice and dominant presence, made people comfortable to watch 
him; moreover, comfortable to share the details of their lives with 
him, and the audience who leaned in to listen and learn.
  Described as a perfectionist, he held himself and others to three 
requirements in the newsroom. What went out of his newsroom and into 
the living rooms had to be correct, pertinent, and helpful to Hawaii.
  He had a photographic memory for detail. He was a wordsmith. He had 
the ear of key figures in Hawaii sports. He was proud of the local kids 
who made it. He was all about Hawaii.
  His reach into our homes did not stop with him, however, because 
Robert made it a point to share his knowledge. As a mentor, he could 
see in young journalists what others could not see.
  He opened his door to those who otherwise had doors closed in their 
faces. And just as folks welcomed him into their homes, Robert would 
welcome aspiring broadcasters into his home of sports and news.
  Many young men and women he mentored went on to become sports 
anchors, as well as news reporters, and every single one of them was 
better for having Robert in their lives.
  His bright Aloha shirts became his mainstay. He became synonymous 
with them. He was rarely seen without one. And on the national circuit, 
the Daily Show with Trevor Noah shared a shot of Robert in his Aloha 
shirt, and Noah commented: ``Even their newscasts are so chill.''
  The brightness of Robert's shirts only mirrored the brightness of his 
smile and the endless radiance of his Aloha spirit.
  Within this skilled communicator and mentor lived a Native Hawaiian 
who inspired others, including myself. To see Robert on the news and 
the small screen gave way to other Native Hawaiians to believe they 
could have a career on TV, too.
  In public, he was just as approachable, and friends tell me he often 
covered the tab for those he didn't know.
  His legacy lives on through the people fortunate enough to learn from 
him and work with him and in the music he composed, produced, and 
performed alongside his daughter, Tiera, and through his family and 
friends whom he loved dearly.
  ``'A'ohe mea nana e ho'opuhili, he moho no ka la makani,'' ``there is 
no one to interfere, for he is a messenger of a windy day,'' said in 
admiration of a person who lets nothing stop him from carrying out the 
task entrusted to him.
  To me and to so many others, that is the essence of Robert, who 
carried out the task as the consummate communicator with extreme love 
for Hawaii and its people.
  Mahalo, Robert Kaleimomi Kekaula, for your immeasurable contributions 
to Hawaii. We are forever grateful, and you will be forever missed.

                          ____________________