Former Maui priest remembered for humor

The Rev. Charles Oyabu / 1941-2006

The Rev. Charles Oyabu, who served in Catholic parishes on Maui, died April 5 in San Antonio, Texas.

Oyabu, 64, was ordained a priest in the Society of Mary in 1970. He served as chaplain and novice master for Marianist seminarians in Hawaii. He was pastor at St. Anthony Church in Wailuku from 1985 to 1993 and associate pastor from 1997 to 2002. He was administrator of Holy Rosary parish in Paia and Christ the King Church in Kahului. Since 2003, he was an associate pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Helotes, Texas.

"He was a happy combination of deep spirituality and a great sense of humor," said the Rev. John Bolin of the Marianist community in Honolulu. "We always knew when Charlie was in the room because he was endowed with a very contagious, and at times a very loud, laugh. People loved him and had a great admiration for him and his devoted ministry."

Born in Honolulu, he graduated from Chaminade University and attended the Marianist seminary in Fribourg, Switzerland, and St. Louis Seminary in Missouri.

A funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Saturday at Mystical Rose Oratory at Chaminade University. Friends may call after 9 a.m. Inurnment will be at 2:15 p.m. in Diamond Head Memorial Park.

Oyabu requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Marianist Missions for India, Africa, Korea and Mexico, 4435 E. Patterson Road, Dayton, OH 45481-0001.

He is survived by his mother Dorothy T. Oyabu, brothers Jerry and Lawrence and sisters Rachel Shozuya, Charlotte Fujieda and Shirley Higa.