STAR-BULLETIN / 2002 John Siofele, who died yesterday in a car accident, helped out with the St. Louis School senior class community service project in February. From left, seniors Lane Shiroma, Siofele and Chris Sokugawa cleaned up Palolo Stream.

Former St. Louis
star dies in crash

John Siofele had planned
to attend UH on a scholarship
to play football

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By Mary Vorsino
mvorsino@starbulletin.com

An Interscholastic League of Honolulu all-star football player active in the community died early yesterday when his car collided head-on with an express city bus in Nanakuli.

John Siofele, 18, a former St. Louis School linebacker who had plans to attend the University of Hawaii on a football scholarship in the fall and major in computer science, was driving Honolulu-bound on Farrington Highway near Haleakala Avenue about 4 a.m. yesterday when he crossed the center line and crashed into the Waianae-bound bus, police said.

The bus driver, a 51-year-old Kaneohe man and 26-year veteran of the bus system, was slowing down at a bus stop when the collision occurred, according to Honolulu Police Department traffic investigators. He was not injured.

"It's just a shock," Ron Lee, assistant Warrior football coach, said.

"He's a loss. He was just a great kid."

Cal Lee, former football coach and current athletic director at St. Louis, said: "It just breaks my heart to hear these things. ... He had a great future ahead of him."

Rosa Yasuda, Siofele's aunt, said: "John was everything. He was a loving, humble person.

"Now he's gone. I don't know what else to say."

Siofele, a 6-foot, 255-pound defensive lineman, was named a second-team ILH all-star last fall after he recorded 44 tackles for league champion St. Louis.

Current St. Louis football coach Delbert Tengan was defensive coordinator last year and worked closely with Siofele. He said Siofele was not only a talented football player, "but more than football, he was a great person."

"He could play the piano, he could sing. More than just the athletic side, he was a well-rounded person who will be sorely missed."

Tengan added that Siofele was a "humble kid" and "everything you could ask for as a coach."

Siofele was an honor roll student at St. Louis and took part in school and community activities. He won a $500 award for outstanding high school seniors of Samoan ancestry from the Nu'u Ministry of the United Church of Christ.

Siofele's older brother, Joe, also graduated from St. Louis and plays linebacker for the University of Arizona.

Lee, who last talked to John Siofele on Thursday, said the football player had recently visited his older brother in Arizona and had come back physically and emotionally ready for the season.

"He'd come by over here (to the university) with the guys. He just got back (from Arizona), and he told me how hot Arizona was, how Joe was doing," Lee said. "He was looking forward to the season. ... He was looking forward to playing in front of his family."

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Star-Bulletin reporters Dave Reardon and
Jason Kaneshiro contributed to this report.