Kauai’s ‘Mayor Aloha’ dies

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Kauai’s ‘Mayor Aloha’ dies

June 23rd, 2008 · No Comments

Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste

BRYAN BAPTISTE / 1955-2008

Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste, who Mayor Mufi Hannemann nicknamed “Mayor Aloha,” died yesterday of an apparent cardiac arrest. He was 52.

In a statement last night, Kauai County officials said paramedics were called to Baptiste’s home, where they tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him. He was pronounced dead at Wilcox Hospital.

Baptiste, a Republican who was in his second term, was remembered as a hard-working public servant who embodied the spirit of aloha. “Leadership from the heart” was Baptiste’s first mayoral campaign slogan.

“This is a huge loss for Kauai,” said Tim Bynum, a Kauai County councilmember who served on Baptiste’s staff during his first term. “He’s been a great mayor and he’s been a good person. I think that he was a really caring leader that did his best for Kauai to maintain the uniqueness of our island. He’ll have a lot of legacies.”

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said in a news release that he was stunned by the news of Baptiste’s death.

“Kauai has lost a great leader, and I have lost a dear friend and colleague,” he said. “I thought he was ‘Mayor Aloha,’ in that he exuded a unique local style of leadership. Bryan was quick to smile, put people at ease, and said just enough to get his point across, yet make people feel comfortable with a decision-making process. I’ll miss him very much, as I know the people of Kauai will. We’ve lost an outstanding public servant.”