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By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Debbi Karpowicz hugs her mom, Joanna, when they find the spot
at the Moana Hotel where Debbi's late father had his picture
taken in 1944. Sister Christine Lynch observes the moment.

Daughter
fulfills a father’s
promise

A wedding in Hawaii puts
a family in touch with
Dad's dream

By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

IT only takes a few moments listening to East Coast magazine writer Debbi Karpowicz to understand that no one is going to control her enthusiasm.

The "short" version of just part of her life story -- her dad's love for Hawaii, a promise he made to her mother but never kept, her own vow to bring her mom here and her Hawaii wedding, which she is writing about for Bridal Guide magazine -- takes a breathless 30 minutes.

But broken down into its most basic elements -- the story of how her dad, Walter, fell in love with Hawaii while serving in the United States Air Force; his promise to bride, Joan, that someday he would show her Diamond Head; his constant bantering to Debbi and her sister about Hawaii's beauty -- take on a special feeling when you learn that he died before he could fulfill his vow.

"My mom told me that after Daddy returned from Hawaii he kept promising her someday she would see Diamond Head; it was his mantra to her," said Karpowicz, 44, of Boston. "But he died in 1964."

Karpowicz, who was 8, held onto the Hawaii dream.

"Growing up we were so poor we couldn't afford a vacation anywhere, much less Hawaii," Karpowicz said. "If Mom let go of the dream, she still talked about it."

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
From left, Christine Lynch, John Lynch, William Kickham,
Debbi Karpowicz and Joanna Karpowicz found the Moana table
where Joanna's late husband, Walter, had his picture
taken in 1944. The photo is on the table.

Debbi eventually became a travel writer, and in 1996 brought her mother to Honolulu on a press junket. They spent a week retracing her father's footsteps: stationed at Hickam Air Force Base during World War II, strolling the sands of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and Waikiki Beach, even climbing Diamond Head, despite her mom's 79 years.

"The whole time we were here we felt the presence of my father," Karpowicz said.

Last year Karpowicz found a 1944 photograph of her father sitting on the veranda at the Moana Hotel. "On the back of the photo he wrote to my mother, 'Tell me if you like this one. Dreaming about you, dearest.' "

Late last month, Karpowicz, former editor of the Robb Report, was married to William Kickham on Waikiki Beach, a short stroll from where her dad had sat on the Moana's veranda. She was accompanied by her sister, mom, fiance's relatives, and, in a way, her dad.

"I always knew Daddy was here; I felt his presence," she said. "It's like my father gave me away."

The couple honeymooned on Maui and the Big Island and plan a formal ceremony later this summer for 100 at St. Aidan's church in Boston -- where John F. Kennedy was baptized -- followed by a reception with a Hawaii theme, including the music of "South Pacific," a Pina Colada bar and island-style food.

"It makes me feel like my life has come full circle," Karpowicz said. "Daddy is smiling."

The Bridal Guide articles will appear this fall or winter.

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