I consider myself very blessed and fortunate to have received an email from Jay on September 26, some two weeks before his passing. In that email he attached a photo of himself wearing the “Hawaiiana G.O.A.T” cap (his “thinking cap”) which according to him he had to put on so he could go through some work that day. He seemed to be in great spirits when he jokingly mentioned he could still get things done when wearing the cap.
I will always remember Jay as the ultimate leader who had put his employees above all else and made them feel proud and safe when they were on his team and thriving in their respective roles. With this, he inspired everyone to give back to the company we all love by way of collectively keeping the Hawaiiana brand at the forefront of the best places to work in Hawaii. His noble charity work remains a strong inspiration to all of us - to continue his legacy of giving, with a gracious spirit to offer what we can give to those who are less fortunate in the community.
This is the longest I have ever worked for any company in my entire professional career. Twenty years. Many of my Hawaiiana colleagues – past and present, have their service record pegged at over 15, 20 years, or even 30+ years. And I can attest Jay was/is the biggest reason why it came to be.
Jay, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.
Eli
