Padayao Honolulu police officer Dannygriggs Padayao was remembered during funeral services as a man with compassion who could brighten people's day with a joke, his smile or just by his presence.
remembered
for warmth
and humor
Family and friends recall the
Low-profile club helps family By Nelson Daranciang
slain officer's compassion and
ability to cheer people up
Star-Bulletin"Danny would walk into a room and lighten it up," said Lt. Mark Victor, Padayao's former supervisor at the Kalihi station.
Padayao's aunt, Rose Eugenio from Paauilo on the Big Island, remembered how thrilled his grandmother was when she saw Padayao perform hula in the Merrie Monarch Festival years ago. "Danny, you meet Grandma, go dance for her," Eugenio said.
Padayao, 46, was laid to rest yesterday with full police honors at the Hawaiian Memorial Park Cemetery in Kaneohe.
Earlier in the day, uniformed officers from Honolulu, neighbor islands, state and federal agencies and one from Seattle attended funeral services at Diamond Head Mortuary.Dozens more Honolulu police officers stood at attention along Beretania Street as the funeral procession passed in front of police headquarters. Police department employees stood outside the building as well to pay their last respects.
The 18-year police veteran was killed in a hit-and-run accident April 30 as he was laying flares around a previous traffic collision near the entrance to Kualoa Ranch on Kamehameha Highway.
Police arrested a 22-year-old Kahaluu man in connection with the case but released him pending an investigation.
Within 24 hours of Honolulu police officer Dannygriggs Padayao's death, the president of the 200 Club was at Padayao's home to deliver a check for $5,000 to the family. The 200 Club helps
By Nelson Daranciang
grieving Padayao family
Star-BulletinThe 200 Club, an exclusive organization of individuals and people involved in local businesses, provides money to the families of Honolulu police officers and Honolulu firefighters killed on duty, no questions asked and no strings attached.
It is a tradition that started when the organization was formed in 1968 through the friendship between then-Honolulu Police Chief Francis Keala and then-First Hawaiian Bank Chairman Johnny Bellinger.
"I think we're very fortunate to have an organization like that," said Honolulu Fire Chief Attilio Leonardi.
"Officers and their families have benefited from their generosity, and we are appreciative and grateful that the business community supports the police department," said Police Chief Lee Donohue.The organization gets its name from the number of active members to which it limits itself. Membership is by invitation only, requiring a recommendation from a board member. No new member can join until a current one drops out.
The members shy away from publicity to prevent inquiries and applications from people who want to gain influence with the police and fire departments. And they limit their contact with firefighters and police officers.
The original sole purpose of the 200 Club was to provide immediate aid to families of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.
The organization has since expanded its scope to fund training and educational programs.
Each year, the 200 Club requests budgets from the fire chief and police chief for items not funded by the city. Money for requests granted by the 200 Club board of directors goes into the city's general fund as a gift.