'He brought a lot of smiles, a lot of warmth, a lot of aloha'

THE CROWD

THE SANDS of Waikiki were covered with people -- young and old -- who came to say aloha to Don Ho. As they have for decades, fans of different generations brought flowers and reminisced about the late entertainer's earlier years.

"I remember my mom would swoon every time she heard him sing. My dad would get so mad," said Rick Williams, of Visalia, Calif., who was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with Ho's unforgettable smile. "Hawaii was two things back then: Don Ho and Pearl Harbor."

Fans converged on every open spot of sand in Waikiki. Waves gently rolled in as Ho's playful music could be heard coming from several outdoor bars.

Children played in the water while their parents listened to the music on stage.

Honolulu Police Maj. Randy Macadangdang estimated the crowd at the memorial celebration concert at about 10,000 people.

Macadangdang said it was a peaceful and orderly event. About 15 regular beat officers were joined by 30 additional officers to maintain security. "We're celebrating Don Ho's legacy. He deserves everything he's got. You can see the offering of love with everybody showing up," said Macadangdang. "We haven't had any problems."

TALAI PUNIVAI brought his mother-in-law from Oregon. The Nuuanu resident called it "amazing." "It's the greatest idea," he said. "Just by being here when his ashes were scattered. It was touching."

"The timing is really good. It feels like being home again. It reminds me of all the things I went through when I was younger," said Joe Salvador, 50, of Olympia, Wash.

Rosemary Kent was sitting with her son under a palm tree eating ice cream during the show.

"He brought a lot of smiles, a lot of warmth and a lot of aloha," she said.

"I'm just here because he did so much for Hawaii and to pay tribute to the man that he was," said Cherie Kawamoto of Mililani. "He introduced Hawaii to a lot of people on the Mainland. He's such a great man. People think of him as an entertainer. He was a lot more."

"We want to celebrate him. He's an icon of Hawaii, just like the Duke" (Kahanamoku) said Carole Lilleberg of Hawaii Kai.

"He just made everyone feel very welcomed. He didn't stand out like an arrogant individual. He just wanted to be like the people and entertain them. He connected with the people."

Enos Thomson and the Kaala Boys were performing at Duke's during the memorial service in front of the Sheraton Waikiki. They offered an instrumental of "I Remember You" as the canoes paddled out.

"For me as a musician, to be playing at this historical ceremony, it just happens for a reason. It's a calling. It's like passing a torch. We carry on that legacy," Thomson said.

Hundreds of people crowded on the beach just before sunset to see the canoes depart to spread Ho's ashes. Many filmed the event and said they were happy to be part of it.

"It was a nice send-off. It was a beautiful ceremony," said Tom Schmidt.

"It was beautiful," echoed Bill Daehler. "We don't have this in Park City, Utah. "With the surroundings and the sunset, it was just gorgeous." He added that he would be proud to tell his friends that he was at the memorial service for Don Ho.

Connie Algoflah flew in Thursday from Buckeye, Ariz., just to attend the memorial. She arrived at the balmy beach eight hours before the 6 p.m. tribute, to stake out a front-sand seat.

Algoflah, 43, said she'd had a huge crush on Ho and used to skip school as a teenager in Oklahoma to watch "The Don Ho Show."

"We were extremely poor in this little run-down apartment. He was my escape into something beautiful," she said.

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