Birth date: May 7, 1938 Death date: Sep 7, 2025
Gunnard Harvey Halvorson, 87, of Kapolei, Hawaii passed away on September 7, 2025. He was born on May 7, 1938 in Fosston, Minnesota. He is survived by his wife, Naomi Halvorson; children, Robert Halvorson (Malia), David Halvorso Read Obituary
How to say Thank you for being the Grandfather for our daughter while we were stationed in Ewa🙏🏽. Alex and Vanessa were friends and she lived going to your house with Alex. Our prayers for your family and friends🙏🏽 🌈Thank you for your service🇺🇸
Sharon, love you 🙏🏽
I have many memories of my grandpa that I could share from my childhood. I had the great fortune of living close by him and my grandma on the island as a little girl and can easily recall the comfort and warmth I always felt in his presence. My grandpa was a giant to me and he always had a soft and gentle way of speaking...he always called me "doll" and we would always compete to see which one of us could hug the other tighter. His bear hugs were always stronger than mine, but he always told me that I won. He liked to tell me tale tales, like that he owned a secret cave on the island, and I always believed him and would brag to anyone that would listen that my grandpa was a king of a secret cave somewhere.
I remember how devoted he always was to my grandma, even hiring a quartet to sing to her on one special occasion...maybe it was her birthday or their anniversary, but whatever the occasion was, he was a true romantic and he loved to shower her with love.
One of my favorite memories of my grandpa is of him teaching me to say the Lord's Prayer. I can remember the two of us sitting outside on the lanai, the wind chimes tinkling nearby and the water fountain trickling. It was just the two of us practicing prayer together. It's a very special memory to me now as I'm teaching my own children this prayer. I'm so grateful that my grandpa took the time to help me learn it and to be one of the first people in my life to teach me about the Lord.
I remember his love and knowledge of computers, too. He was always proud to show me the family website he was always working on. When I was little, he had a special room for their computers in the house. It was the only room in the house with air conditioning to keep the computers running correctly. I remember bundling up with a jacket or a blanket to go in the room and see what kind of project he was working on that day. One time he had put the song "Be Our Guest" from the movie Beauty and the Beast on the website and I remember him being very excited about that.
My grandpa was a caring man who loved to enjoy life and the company of the people he cared about. I know his absence is going to be felt by many. The world is now short of an outstanding man. I will miss him but I have faith that I will get to give him another bear hug one day. For now, I enjoy every warm memory and rejoice that he lived a wonderful life full of love.
Shared by David Halvorson, Son
One of the most powerful lessons Dad ever taught me was when I was a young Cub Scout building a Pinewood Derby car!
The idea was to 'build' a small car out of wood (with assistance from an adult), to race against the other kids. There would be trophies and everything! At just 8 years old, I was all in with excitement!
With minimal planning, I had the shape of the car drawn out. Dad handed me a hand saw, showing me the basics of sawing with this semi-unfamiliar tool before I tried my hand at it. Remember, I was just a kid...
Clear as yesterday, I remember sawing with jerky motions, pushing and dragging the blade across the small block of wood that might one day be my race care. But with jagged cuts abounding, there wasn't a straight line to be found! Funny, it never looked this hard when Dad did it.
After a few minutes of watching me struggle, Dad calmly said, "David, you need to let the tools do the work. That's why you have them. They're designed to make things easier - if you use them right!" And with that said, Dad began to instruct me on the in's and out's of using a saw - the 'tricks of the trade' he would say.
If it's not obvious, this story isn't really about the saw or the car. Rather it is about the echo of my father's voice instructing me to pick the right tool for the job and then to use it properly. A lesson that shaped my life significantly ever since. And the echo of that lesson is one of my favorite memories of my father. Sincerest thanks, Dad, for a lifetime of guidance!
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When I was about 18 or 19 years old, my friends and I would often drive down to Diamond Head Crater to climb the inside trails of the long-dormant volcano to the top. From there the view of downtown Waikiki was spectacular! My folks knew this was a frequent hike for my friends and I, and this time Dad asked if he and Mom could join us on the adventure! As always, my answer was, "Heck yeah!" This wasn't the first time my parents joined one of our frequent "adventures in chaos!"
And that's the cool part. Mom and Dad just fit in with our group of bedraggled older teens. Everyone thought it was awesome' that my parents would hang out with us doing regular stuff! And in reality, it was awesome! I did have the coolest parents!!!
There are dozens of times they hung out with my friends who uniformly enjoyed the company of my folks. At the beach, at home, or at the top of a volcano, my folks were just great people and great company!
I am so sorry for the family's loss. I remember spending the night with Sharon as kids and Mr. Halvorson was kind of quiet, but kind and probably pretty patient putting up with us. I hope the loving memories you are sharing and will continue to share bring you comfort, peace and love during this time. I know you all will miss him dearly. I send my love, prayers and hugs.
Barbara Penczek
Dad and Mom gave a party when David joined the Air Force. Good times.
I knew Hal for over 40 years. He was a great mentor, friend but above all he was like a father to me. My life without his love, support and guidance would have never been the same. I will always cherish our many times together laughing and talking. I always felt like I was part of the family even when I moved from the islands he was just a phone call away. Distance kept us apart, but we were always glad to get together back on the mainland or in the islands when I came to visit. Godspeed Hal, I will miss your sage guidance, encouragement and support. Though you were not my biological father, you filled the void many times over and I will miss you until we meet again in heaven. Much Aloha, Rick
