Father’s Day on Lanai

To celebrate Father’s Day, we asked people around town to share special memories of their fathers. Here’s what they had to say:
Alan Amby, Jr.
Father: Alan Amby, Sr.

What is your fondest memory with your father?
My fondest memory would be when I shot my first Uku (Hawaiian Blue-Green Snapper) spearfishing with my dad.
What is the most memorable advice your father ever gave you?
To always work-hard and be one step ahead.
What do/did you enjoy doing most with your dad?
Going hunting, fishing, & diving with him.
What makes/made your father the happiest?
Family & outdoor adventures.
What do you/did you appreciate the most about your relationship with your father?
My dad always assists and supports me with all my endeavors.
Max Becker
Father: Stephen Becker

What is your fondest memory with your father?
When we watched a track day at Laguna Seca together.
What is the most memorable advice your father ever gave you?
Remember that your brain isn’t like the rest, you have different challenges, but workarounds that come with it.
What do/did you enjoy doing most with your dad?
Wading in the water at Manele, talking, and catching waves when good ones came in.
What makes/made your father the happiest?
Camping and surf kayaking down at Lopa.
What do you/did you appreciate the most about your relationship with your father?
We shared a lot of interest in cars and bonded over that.
Guillermo Bolo, Jr.
Father: Guillermo Bolo, Sr.

What is your fondest memory with your father?
Going fishing with my dad on his custom-built boat made out of a truck camper in rough waters out in the deep beyond shipwreck.
What is the most memorable advice your father ever gave you?
The most memorable advice my dad gave me was never let negativity bring you down.
What do/did you enjoy doing most with your dad?
I did not enjoy it then but doing landscaping with him at my mom’s friend’s yard. Now that I am older, I enjoy thinking about it.
What makes/made your father the happiest?
My dad enjoys doing crafty things and spending time with his family.
What do you/did you appreciate the most about your relationship with your father?
The things I appreciate most about my dad and my relationship is that I can always count on him to be there for me and how when I talk to him, he is always calm and mellow. He is also the most happy and funniest guy I know.
Nelinia Cabiles
Father: Guillermo Cabiles

What is your fondest memory with your father?
I ran cross-country in high school, starting in the ninth grade. I didn’t have my own shoes and trained in my older brother’s sneakers. They were slightly too big, but if I cinched the laces tight across the tops of my feet, they worked okay. Our family didn’t have the money to buy running shoes for all the kids in the family – there were six of us, and so wearing hand-me-downs was standard practice. One day during cross-country season when I was a sophomore, my dad handed me a box. He had just returned from Honolulu to see his thyroid doctor. In the box were green and yellow Nike running shoes in my size. This was in 1980, when Nike was just making a name for itself. I was dumbstruck. I had no idea my dad even knew I was in cross-country, let alone my size or that running was my favorite thing in the world. The shoes fit perfectly. It was the most generous gift I’d ever received, and to this day, is the most thoughtful, for clearly, he had been paying attention, and understood, without saying a word, of how much I loved to run. He honored my joy.
What is the most memorable advice your father ever gave you?
Don’t ever speak or act in anger. Take a moment, go for a run, clear your head, sleep on the problem. What to say or do will come to you after you’ve cooled off.
What do/did you enjoy doing most with your dad?
When I was young, I enjoyed watching my dad bake ensaymada or doughnuts or blueberry muffins or cook dinner. He was neat and meticulous and efficient and followed a process. Now, as an adult, I have enjoyed getting to know my dad as we play dama, Filipino checkers.
What makes/made your father the happiest?
He was happiest whenever he could give fish or fresh-baked ensaymadas or pan de sal to friends or family. He also was the happiest when he was with my mom. They were great friends and deeply enjoyed each other’s company.
What do you/did you appreciate the most about your relationship with your father?
I didn’t know my dad growing up. He was always working to make ends meet. I am grateful that I am getting to know him now and am helping to take care of him. It is hard, challenging work sometimes, but every day is a chance for me and my siblings to show him that he still has good and happy years ahead of him, that life is still worth living, and that he has a family who loves him very much.
Jacob Janikowski
Father: John Janikowski

What is your fondest memory with your father?
My father and I had planned to go swimming at Kaumalapau Harbor. On the way down, he told me he once won a cannon ball contest when he was younger. At first, I didn’t believe him and thought he was messing with me, but when we got down there he got ready and jumped off the tire. He made a splash that must have been 15-20 feet tall.
What is the most memorable advice your father ever gave you?
“Control your emotions and think about the possible consequences before you act.” I think this is smart and can get anyone out of lots of future trouble. I’ve fallen victim to not thinking ahead and have tried to prevent myself from doing it as much as possible.
What do/did you enjoy doing most with your dad?
Hiking. We would do it quite often when I was younger; the two of us would go out and just explore in any direction we pleased. We both enjoyed it and neither of us ever wanted to go back when it was time to leave.
What makes/made your father the happiest?
My father told me that one thing I did that made him most proud was a woodworking project I did. It was a large-scale piece, and I did it relatively on my own. I think he was proud because his father taught wood shop and the two of them would do woodworking together when he was my age.
What do you/did you appreciate the most about your relationship with your father?
His tolerance. My father is never quick to anger, and he only gets mad when we have done something incredibly dumb. I hope to control myself and be like him in that way when I’m an adult.
Pili Gella
Father: Larry Plunkett

What is your fondest memory with your father?
My fondest memory with my father is when I was young, he would take me everywhere he went. To the beach, basketball courts, his friend’s house, etc.
What is the most memorable advice your father ever gave you?
The most memorable advice he gave me was to work hard and get good grades or I would get grounded.
What do/did you enjoy doing most with your dad?
I enjoy watching sports and talking story with my dad.
What makes/made your father the happiest?
Seeing his two granddaughters every day.
What do you/did you appreciate the most about your relationship with your father?
I appreciate everything in my relationship with my dad. Whenever I need help, he drops what he is doing to help me. I can always count on him every day.
Collins Tamashiro
Father: Collin Tamashiro

What is your fondest memory with your father?
Fondest memory with my dad is the day I got to pay for his golf. He was surprised and happy.
What is the most memorable advice your father ever gave you?
Most memorable advice from my dad was not by his words but by his actions. He always treated everyone he came across with aloha.
What do/did you enjoy doing most with your dad?
I always enjoyed being able to golf with my dad.
What makes/made your father the happiest?
Dad always just being around family and friends and cooking.
What do you/did you appreciate the most about your relationship with your father?
I appreciate that I can always call and get advice from my dad. Be it life, love, or cooking.
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