TOM 'FAT BOY' OKUDA

Democratic political
figure dies at 73

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Star-Bulletin staff

Tom "Fat Boy" Okuda, a well-known political figure in the state Democratic Party, died Tuesday. He was 73.

Former House Finance Chairman Ken Kiyabu said: "Hawaii lost a great guy. He helped a lot of people."

Okuda, 73, joined the traffic violation bureau in 1965 when it was a city department.

In 1975 he was promoted from director of violations to deputy administrative director of the courts when it was placed under state control.

Okuda lost his job as deputy courts administrator after he was convicted in 1989 of 13 misdemeanor counts of fixing traffic tickets and left that job a year later. In 1986, a blue-ribbon citizens panel recommended Okuda be removed from his job.

He had been criticized for directing Judiciary employees to participate in political activities and for passing out deputy sheriff's badges to legislators, business people and close friends without any justification.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Hawaiian Memorial Park.