Gordon Kwai Fong Sam's Obituary
Gordon Kwai Fong Sam, 88, of Honolulu, passed away on Easter morning, April 5, 2026, at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center.
Gordon was born in Honolulu, on July 28, 1937 to King Chew Sam and Lily Sam. He grew up with two younger brothers, and an abundance of Zane cousins, aunties, and uncles (his mother had 11 siblings). He attended Saint Louis School. He spent the summers working at his aunt and uncle’s pig farm to pay for his high school tuition. He graduated from Saint Louis in 1955. He attended University of Michigan, where he became an avid fan of the Michigan Wolverines, and received his degree in chemical engineering. He served in the Army in from 1961 to 1963. He received an MBA in Finance from the University of Hawaii.
He met Betty Navarro in 1964 and they were married in 1965. It was a marriage that lasted 49 years. In 1967, their son Stephen was born, who was the center of their lives. Although they only had one child, they often treated Stephen’s friend Tyler as their second son, taking him in for months at a time or bringing him along on family trips. Their home was often a gathering place. They welcomed family, friends, friends of family, and friends of friends to their home for holidays and celebrations. They also opened their home to Michigan athletes, Michigan admittees, the church choir, and their neighbors. It was not unusual to see the neighborhood children playing basketball in their driveway or swimming in their pool.
Gordon was a nuclear engineer at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard until his retirement in 1990. Upon retiring, he took on a new position at the State Department of Education.
Aside from being a Michigan athletic supporter, Gordon was also an athlete. He ran the Honolulu Marathon numerous times and volunteered when he no longer ran. He took up karate after the Karate Kid movies came out and attained a third-degree black belt. He inspired his nieces and nephews to learn karate as well. He also loved to golf.
For 35 years, he was actively involved with Hawaii credit union community. He served in many different leadership capacities, including as Chairman of the Board of the Pearl Hawaii Federal Credit Union and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Credit Union League. He received numerous awards for his work in the credit union industry and was inducted into the Defense Credit Union Council Hall of Honor.
Gordon was involved in many aspects of the community. He sang in the church choir and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He served the community by volunteering with Special Olympics and Meals on Wheels.
He enjoyed travel both domestic and international, photography, and the latest technology. His life was made rich by the many relationships he had with the special needs community, his Army gang, the credit union community, the Kam family, and the Zane and Sam families.
Gordon was preceded in death by his wife Betty, his brother Roy, his sister Roselle Soon, and his hanai sister Grace Abe. He is survived by his son Stephen, brother Vernon, companion Winnie Kam, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Services will be held at Star of the Sea Parish on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by Mass at 10:00 a.m. Inurnment at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl at a later date.
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