[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 3, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING SUKI KAHAULELIO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 3, 2025

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
late Suki Kahaulelio for his lifelong contributions to the preservation 
of Hawaiian culture and his decades of service as a mentor, teacher, 
and leader in our Sonoma County community.
  Born on June 4, 1957, in Oahu, Hawaii, Mr. Kahaulelio graduated from 
Kahuku High School in 1975. Shortly after, he moved to California to 
attend Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC), becoming part of the first 
wave of Polynesian student-athletes recruited to the school. Mr. 
Kahaulelio was a standout on the 1977-78 State Championship football 
team, and his success helped pave the way for other Polynesian student-
athletes in our region, including Les Goeas, Tom Ako, and Chauncey Ako 
to thrive in out region. Though many expected him to return to the 
Islands after graduation, Mr. Kahaulelio chose instead to build a life, 
raise a family, and establish a vibrant Polynesian community here in 
our Sonoma County.
  Following his time as a student-athlete, Mr. Kahaulelio remained 
deeply committed to community building, athletics, and cultural 
preservation. He was a key figure in the development of the Santa Rosa 
Rugby Club, helping the team win two National Championships. Mr. 
Kahaulelio later coached for the Rohnert Park Warriors youth football 
team, here he mentored young athletes and instilled in them the values 
of humility, teamwork, and service.
  For 46 years, Mr. Kahaulelio served as a kumu (teacher), mental, and 
Hawaiian cultural bearer. His life's work was rooted in perpetuating 
core Hawaiian principles such as kuleana (responsibility), malama `aina 
(care for the land), and pono (righteousness). Grounded in the wisdom 
of his kupuna (ancestors), Mr. Kahaulelio's teachings emphasized 
intergenerational learning, cultural sovereignty, and healing through 
connection. His lifelong commitment to teaching traditional Hawaiian 
values, mentoring youth, and organizing cultural events helped preserve 
Hawaiian identity across generations. By creating spaces for language, 
ceremony, and shared history, Mr. Kahaulelio fostered a sense of pride 
and belonging among the Hawaiian diaspora and helped raise broader 
awareness of Hawaiian culture in our Sonoma County community.
  While attending SRJC, Mr. Kahaulelio met his first wife, Val, with 
whom he had two children, Cheylyn and Jacob. He later married Toni 
Guanella, who passed away in 2018, and they had one son together, Dino. 
Mr. Kahaulelio passed away on January 14, 2021, due to a stroke. His 
impact continues to resonate in the lives of those he touched, and his 
legacy will carry forward through the inaugural Suki Kahaulelio 
Memorial Golf Tournament, taking place on May 31, 2025, in Rohnert 
Park. Proceeds from the event will support student-athletes and help 
preserve Hawaiian culture, continuing Mr. Kahaulelio's life work.
  Mr. Speaker, we thank Suki Kahaulelio for his dedicated service to 
our community. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor his 
legacy here today.

                          ____________________