Richard Robello's Obituary
Richard A. Robello of Honolulu passed away quietly in his sleep on February 7, 2022, following several months in hospice care at St. Francis Hospice Center in Nu’uanu. Rick, Richard, Richie Rich, or Ricky Boy as he was called at different times of his life, was born at Kapiolani Maternity Hospital to Helen and Tony Robello, at a time when Hawaii was still a territory. As a child, he loved to read, especially Superman comic books. He attended Star of the Sea Elementary School until the 8th grade, after which he continued on to Damien High School and Kalani High School. He always loved animals and had many pets, starting with a pair of Easter chicks, but later including many, many cats and dogs. His love of animals led him to working with animals at the Hawaii State Animal Quarantine Station for many years, and for a while at the Hawaiian Humane Society.
His two favorite jobs were that of animal caretaker at the Animal Quarantine Station and as a driver/attendant for the kupuna at the Mililani Plaza Assisted Living Center, taking them for weekly excursions or to appointments. He had a gift for interacting with the kupuna, and they loved him. When a serious health problem prevented him from returning to work, he was dearly missed by many of the people he had helped.
Over the years, Rick enjoyed many pastimes: playing board games (and later video games and iPhone games), hanging out at the beach, watching cartoons on Saturday mornings, assembling and painting model cars, devouring old movies, especially those of Elvis Presley and Cary Grant.
When Rick married and became a father to his daughter, Shoshana, his life became fulfilled. Being a father brought him tremendous joy, and he loved going to Shoshana’s hula recitals and track meets, “coaching” her on how to run farther and jump higher, and taking pride in watching her grow.
Rick is survived by his daughter, Shoshana, and her husband, Nicholas Margull, his longtime girlfriend, Virginia “Sweets” Smith, his sister, Charlene Moran (Marshall), his nephews Ryan (Maile), Paul (Alayna), and his grand-niece, Lilinoe. The family would like to acknowledge Rick’s many caregivers at St. Francis Hospice for the loving, kind, concerned care that they provided in Rick’s last months. There were too many to name but Rick loved them all and would tell each of them, “You’re my favorite!”
A celebration of Rick’s life is being planned for September 17, 2022 at 10am at Diamond Head Chapel. Please log onto the Diamond Head Mortuary Guestbook for information about the service and also if you would like to share a remembrance of Rick. https://www.diamondheadmortuary.net/obituaries/
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