Puanani Tilton, a retired schoolteacher, remembers the first time she saw Frank Fasi.

“;I was a young girl. We were at the roller derby games, and I just remember he was so handsome but I said, 'He is a politician, and that's why he is smiling at me,'”; Tilton said. “;His whole mannerism was to connect to you.”;

Her friend Moana Nahinu remembers working in two of Fasi's campaigns.

“;He was out there with people from all walks of life, and he was always with the common people,”; Nahinu said.

The pair were talking about Fasi all morning yesterday at the Waimanalo McDonald's.

“;He was a scrapper, and he was willing to take on whomever and reap the anger of people who were powerful,”; said Tilton.

In Manoa, Ray Uyechi recalled how downright entertaining Fasi was for voters.

“;He didn't give a damn what people thought of him,”; Uyechi said. “;He wanted to do and he would get things done.”;

  Politicians and Colleagues' Response to Fasi's Death

 

They remembered Frank Fasi as one of the most charismatic leaders Hawaii has ever seen.

[ Watch ]

 

Yesterday in Honolulu you could strike up a conversation with almost anyone and they would have had something to say about Fasi, who died Wednesday at age 89.

“;I came here in 1982. In five years I became a citizen, and I voted for Fasi,”; said Lodito Reyes, a city worker taking a break in Aina Haina. “;Even though he was the underdog, I still voted for him. He was good for us.”;

Hawaii's political leaders joined in with remembrances of Fasi, starting with Mayor Mufi Hannemann, who renamed the city's office building after Fasi.

“;He was the bold and gutsy leader who shaped modern Honolulu. His enduring achievements are all around us: TheBus, the Fasi Civic Center, senior citizens programs, Honolulu City Lights, farmers markets, satellite city halls and on and on. Even rail transit was a centerpiece of his administration,”; said Hannemann.

Hannemann said he spoke with David Fasi in the morning and offered the use of city facilities for a public memorial service.

“;They know how many people want to come and pay respects to Frank Fasi, so I believe that we may be able to do something,”; Hannemann said at an afternoon news conference.

U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie will soon resign his congressional seat to run for governor—the one office Fasi wanted but could never attain.

“;Frank Fasi was his own legacy,”; Abercrombie said. “;He didn't need to leave behind impressive buildings or heroic statues or huge parks to be remembered. He left a rich inheritance of public service based on a genuine love of Honolulu and everyone in it.”;

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye called Fasi's tenure “;controversial, to say the least.”;

Even though they often were on opposite sides of Democratic Party political fights, Inouye noted, “;Whether you were for or against Frank Fasi, one thing you could not do was ignore him.”;

Others were more blunt in their admiration. Dante Carpenter, Democratic Party chairman and former Big Island mayor, said Fasi had “;the testicular fortitude to strive constantly in meeting the needs of the people.”;

Gov. Linda Lingle, who defeated Fasi in a 1998 GOP primary, called his work “;innovative, sometimes unconventional, often controversial.”;

“;Mayor Fasi never wavered from his commitment to helping the everyday person and always showed great empathy for their daily struggles,”; said Lingle.

Former City Councilman Randy Iwase, who frequently sparred with Fasi, says Honolulu voters are better off because Fasi was mayor.

“;He was also courageous enough to push through what he believed in despite controversy,”; Iwase said, noting that the city HPOWER plant “;was a visionary project to deal with Honolulu's growing waste situation.”;

Fasi's friends were from all walks of life. Retired Army officer Donald Mack recalls first meeting Fasi when Mack was a 14-year-old golf caddy at the Waialae Country Club.

“;He was a former Marine captain, then with his own construction firm, an average golf player with a large muscular chest and a good tipper,”; Mack recalled yesterday.

After having lunch with Fasi later in life, Mack said Fasi was the same.

“;The first thing he asked me in front of everyone loudly was, 'I was a good tipper, too, right?' He didn't ask me about his golf skill, but wanted everyone to know that he wasn't stingy or a tightwad,”; said Mack.

Even U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka recalled Fasi's golf game.

“;I have fond memories of golfing with Frank. He played like he ran the city: If he saw something wrong with my swing, he would pounce, tell me what I was doing wrong and help me improve,”; said Akaka.

In the Legislature, members of the House and Senate observed a moment of silence for Fasi at the end of their respective floor sessions.

State Rep. Della Au Bellati (D, Tantalus-Makiki) remembered Fasi as a “;son of Hawaii and Makiki”; with a colorful reputation who will be remembered for his shaka signs, campaign posters and the political battles he waged.

“;In my community and throughout Honolulu, he will surely be remembered for how he stood up for the little guy,”; she said.

Star-Bulletin reporter B.J. Reyes contributed to this story.