Timmy Teichiro Hirata, retired schools superintendent and principal, believed each child should have the opportunity to succeed and not feel failure. Educator devoted his life to kids
Timmy Hirata / Ex-superintendent
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By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com"He used to tell me there is dignity in every individual, so he never treated anybody shabbily, no matter if they were special education or whatever," said his wife Yukie. "He was always looking for ways to improve the schools."
Hirata, 86, died Monday.
He served as the first principal of Aiea High School. He also was principal of McKinley High School, Aliamanu Intermediate School, Pahoa High and Elementary schools, Honomu Elementary School and John M. Ross School of Ninole on the Big Island.
"This man was, especially with his students, very close, and his motivation has always been to benefit the kids in the school system, whether as principal, as a teacher or as a superintendent," said Jimmy Izu, who served as deputy superintendent under Hirata's leadership from 1974 to 1975.
Izu said whenever Hirata saw something that could benefit the growth of teachers or the betterment of students, he would implement it.
When he visited several Los Angeles schools, he was intrigued with a book he saw on principals' bookshelf, "Schools Without Failure" by William Glasser.
Hirata adopted Glasser's belief that every student should succeed in some form whether it was music, art, math or athletics. "And basically that's what he wanted," Izu said.
Hirata graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1933 and received his master's in education from Columbia University in 1946.
A World War II veteran, Hirata served in the U.S. Army's military intelligence unit in India, Burma and China.
Hirata is also survived by son Gregg, daughter Roslyn and sister Nobuyo Kanda.
Services will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at Nuuanu Congregational Church, 2651 Pali Hwy.