Shawn Kimo Gahler's Obituary
Shawn Gahler Obituary
In loving memory of my husband, best friend, soulmate, the father of our daughter Kirra & loving son. I am missing you more than you know. To the depths of my soul with every particle of my being. I will always love you! Thank you for the 28 years of life, love and Kirra. May you rest in peace something you so needed & deserved on earth. Till we meet again in heaven. Love you forever!
Shawn was born Shawn Kimo Gahler on November 23, 1975. He got teased a lot for having Kimo as a middle name, but Shawn embraced it and when he said his whole name, he always emphasized the Kimo part.
Shawn went to Maryknoll from Pre-K through 6th grade, then attended Niu Valley Intermediate, and then went back to Maryknoll high school and graduated from there in 1993.
Shawn played soccer as a child and he loved the ocean. He started off body boarding at Sandy’s and paddling for Hui Nalu and Maryknoll. He found his real love for the ocean in surfing. His favorite places to surf were Explosions, Mokuleia, and his home break was Left Point.
I met Shawn after he graduated from high school, so I was on the adventure of life with him for a long time. Shawn attended the University of Hawaii and had to go through many channels and proposals to create his own degree. At the time, Environmental Science was not as big as it is now. So, Shawn was one of the first to get a degree, in that field, at the university in 1998. He was a pioneer in Environmental studies. He cared about the ocean, that is why he did that.
While at UH he worked as an electrician at Hawaii Stage and Lighting and he saw and got us into every show including, Sublime, Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child off Waikiki, Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow, The Rolling Stones, countless Reggae shows. He even did the lantern festivals at Ala Moana.
Because he would get time off from there, & we got to travel. Shawn loved traveling. He traveled to Bali, Philippines, Samoa, Africa, Australia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the outer islands. In Bali he got to have the best surf of his life. He knew I loved elephants and he took me on an elephant ride. That is when he got down on the elephant’s head and proposed to me. Even the ring represented the ocean. We also got to do the Uluwatu temple and all the monkey’s climbed up on him, and then a monkey peed all over him. He was so pissed about that monkey, but it was one of my best memories.
Shawn started working at Kamehameha Schools “The Bishop” as an intern and then worked full time for them as a GIS Analyst, he made maps and took care of old maps. He worked with surveyors and even sometimes visited the campus to work with students on map building. He worked for The Bishop for about twenty years.
Shawn became a father in 2007 when Kirra came along. He was thrilled to become a dad. He used to tell her, “Forever and ever my daughter you’ll be.” He took her to the beach a lot and to Minnesota to visit family. He gave her memories to last a lifetime, memories she will cherish forever.
Shawn had numerous friends, some of them he has known for decades. He had a charisma, charm, and easygoingness that made people love him. He had a lot of people that he considered handpicked family; he was very blessed to have so many! Thank you to all who loved & supported him on his quest of life.
After he passed I found a pile of cards, all the cards I had given Shawn during the years. He was either extremely sentimental or a hoarder, I’m not sure which, but I like to think it was because he was sentimental.
I loved Shawn and I will miss him. I used to call him my “Shawnshine.” I wish I had a phone to heaven so I could call him & hear him. I feel that he is here, visiting, maybe that is his way of looking out for me and Kirra.
Forever & ever my Husband you'll be!
Shawn’s service will be held at Holy Trinity Church May 6th @ 11am. Address 5919 Kalaniana’ole Highway. Will be followed by lunch & a celebration of life at Kuapa Isle 156 Opihikao way.
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