Trudie Kapua Punohu's Obituary
Trudie Kapua (Knaus) Punohu
70, of Mililani passed away on Friday April 24th 2026.
She was born in Honolulu Hawaii on April 16, 1956 and raised in Makaha Beach.
She is proceeded in death by the love of her life, her husband Neil Punohu and is survived by her son, Kaipo and his wife Ali, granddaughter Jovie, sisters, Sharon, Momilani (Joan), Kaleialoha (Katchen), brother Jak (John) and many nieces and nephews.
If you knew Trudie, you knew Aloha.
She was generous to those she loved and never met a stranger. She had a special way of making people feel important and noticing the person in the corner of the room who might just need a smile to brighten their day.
She is a graduate from Waianae High School Class of 1974, attended business college in Honolulu then worked at Hawaiian Airlines where she was featured on the news as being a part of Hawaii’s first all-female ground crew.
She later spent several years at McKesson Wine and Spirts Distribution Center on Sand Island Road where she met Neil. Trudie then went on to work at Oceanic Cable as a customer service representative for many years before retiring.
At home, she loved her cat Tiki who brought joy to her in her final days. She loved all things UH – especially sports – and was particularly proud when cheering on her son in the UH Marching Band.
She was a lover of the ocean, earned her SCUBA certification early on in her life, and was a fierce Tako spear fisher.
Through Trudie we all learned that nothing was impossible.
Through Trudie, we learned to serve quietly, laugh loudly and love without keeping anything back.
We love you Trudie and we miss you greatly.
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