Celebrating the life of our dear friend Garett Kamemoto

“This picture is of Garett, Scott Ishikawa and me at the opening of the family transition center at the Kakaako Waterfront Park in 2016. I was working for Senator Schatz and Garett for HCDA. I also remember when I was a flak catcher, Garett asked me a tough one and I broke into the song ‘It’s Not for Me to Say.’ He laughed and made a cut sign. As he departed, he said something like, ‘Johnny Mathis has nothing to worry about.’”

“One of the thousand things Garett was doing behind the scenes during & after every Gridiron was helping to prepare the many mementos we all have from our shows, which would magically appear on opening night and at the cast party. He is largely responsible for my shelves of Gridiron binders, programs, lyric books, lanyards, CDs & DVDs. Many years Garett would go way above & beyond—making multiple CD & DVD cover designs so each of us could have our own personalized copy and recall our ‘special moment’ without even popping in the disk (especially helpful now that I no longer have a DVD player 😉).”

“During my rookie days at KGMB, Garett was the chief reporter and I was the sidekick. I was intimidated to be surrounded by veteran reporters, like Denby Fawcett, during Governor Cayetano’s press conferences so Garett showed me the ropes. He taught me how to wait in the basement stairwell to get an exclusive with the Gov and which lawmakers’ offices had the best food on Opening Day. When we covered the Bishop Estate controversy, he showed me how to squeeze into an elevator with the trustees or chase them down the court stairs to get a soundbite. On many days, producer, Sharene Saito, had no idea what the lead story would be, but she knew it would be Garettʻs story. Thank you Garett for your Gridiron humor and impact on Hawaiʻi journalism. Love you!”

“My grave concerns about bringing my (then) one year old daughter to Gridiron rehearsals immediately vanished when gruff, dry humored Garett somehow intrigued and captivated my daughter. ‘Uncle Gawet’ became her rehearsal guardian for many, many years, keeping an eye on the kid in the stroller while running around doing all that he did for us all during Gridiron season! It always touched my heart to see the way he made time for her, spoke gently to her and listened intently to her every toddler word. Caris is now 12. And she fondly remembers sweet (yes, SWEET!) Uncle Gawet!”

“Just everything he did to keep Gridiron rolling, from opening/closing rehearsal space and bringing all the supplies, hauling the cooler to and fro, the backstage hustle (and VIP passes!), playing the amiable game show contestant and bumbling bureaucrat — of course all the writing. After he was always game for a beer and karaoke. The NICEST guy, gone far too soon. Aloha to all his friends and family.”

“Garett was a gifted writer and a wonderful friend. Since I had the chance to perform in many of the haiku skits that he created, I came up with a couple of poems for him:

Smart, witty, dear friend

Fond memories together

Can't believe you're gone

Gridiron staple

Always there to lend a hand

You're missed by many.”

“I will never forget Garett's kindness and willingness to help others despite his dry and often quirky sense of humor. I really got to know him in 1995 when KGMB asked me to leave KITV to join its news team at its iconic station on Kapiolani Boulevard.

Whether in the KGMB newsroom or State Capitol or at a breaking news story, Garett was always professional. He never became an ‘arrogant TV celebrity’ even though he was very well known in the industry and by viewers.

And if you were lucky to his friend, it was was always good fun to run into him while on a story or later, after we switched careers from journalism, when we'd catch up about life, politics and mutual friends. Of course, we'd also reminisce about the Gridiron and some of unforgettable numbers.

As a news colleague, I admired the wealth of information that Garett had compiled over the years and stored away in his brain. Almost just as amazing was the mountain of papers, legislative documents and God knows what else he packed onto and around his desk in the KGMB newsroom. I often teased him about it and he would just smirk and say he knew exactly where everything was!

More recently, after Garett had been at the HCDA for awhile and became the interim director more than once, Jim McCoy and I would see him around and say, ‘Hey, you somebody!’ We affectionately teased him for becoming the guy in a pressed aloha shirt, standing in front of news cameras, with others holding an oʻo at groundbreaking ceremonies - just like many of the newsmakers he used to cover.

How things changed over the years, but he was the same Garett. Humble, professional, soft-spoken unless he had reason to be pissed off, and generous with his humor, kindness and loyal friendship.

We miss you, dear friend. Rest in love, Garett. ”