CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kenneth Noyle checked for his name on the voting roster at Kaimuki High School yesterday.
In his 80 years, Ken Noyle has done many things. 80-year-old votes
for first time everBy Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.comHe's been around the world 67 times and lived in 105 countries. He has been a magician, comedian, philosopher, poet and author of 28 novels, children's books and other published writings.
The one thing he has never done is vote.
Yesterday he marched into Kaimuki High School at 8:30 a.m. and added that civic duty to his long list of accomplishments.
"Hopefully I would effect some change," Noyle declared.
Like a good citizen, Noyle did his homework first before casting his votes. But in the end his choices were personal.
"One of them I didn't like much, so I voted for the other," he said about his choice for Hawaii's next governor. He declined to reveal his candidate.
Noyle never voted before because he never had the opportunity, he said. The British-born self-employed entertainer was too young to vote in his native country when he left at 17.
Noyle has been traveling the world since joining the Royal Air Force as an air gunner. Two years later he was in ENSA, the British version of the United Service Organizations (USO), showing off the skills he learned from his father as a comedian and magician.
Over the next four years he lived in South Africa, Egypt, Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia and India. After leaving ENSA, Noyle continued to the travel the world as an entertainer, living and working in Japan and the United States. Noyle said he performed in Las Vegas, Reno and Atlantic City. He also worked aboard cruise ships.
The itinerant entertainer settled in Hawaii seven years ago. He felt the urge to vote, but had to become an American citizen. He was granted citizenship last year and registered to vote in yesterday's general election.
"I have wonderful friends here. People are wonderful here. And it's time that I gave something back. And so I felt that by voting, hopefully I would affect some change," he said.
