Former University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education interim dean and UH football legend, Charles Araki passed away at the age of 85.
A strong supporter of the university and Athletics Department, Araki’s association with the school began in the early 1950s when he was a member of the football team that defeated Nebraska, considered one of the biggest upsets in school history. He retired as interim dean of the College of Education in 1998 and later earned the title of professor emeritus.
Araki served 13 years as a teacher and administrator in the Hawaiʻi Department of Education and 26 years at the UH Mānoa College of Education as an interim dean, associate dean for graduate studies and research and professor of educational administration. He assisted in the design and implementation of the doctoral program in educational administration, the COHORT School Leadership Program and the field-based teacher education program. In 2004, he was honored as the College of Education Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus for his lifetime contribution to education in Hawaiʻi.
He was also active with the UH Foundation and the UH Alumni Association, and served as president of the UH College of Education Alumni Association from 2000 to 2002.
Araki was inducted into the school’s Circle of Honor in 1990 and received the Kane Fernandez Community Service Award in 2003 and the UH Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005. He was a founding member of the Letterwinners Club and as president helped the organization raise more than $44,000 in dues, donations and endowments while significantly increasing the club’s membership.
Araki is survived by his wife Ellen (Kano), sons Wade (Kristie) and Blake (Valerie), and five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, June 18, at Hosoi Garden Mortuary. Visitation from 4:30 p.m., service at 6 p.m.
For more on Araki’s ties to UH sports, go to the UH Mānoa Athletics Department website.
