‘O’ in Life Award
The “O” in Life Award honors an individual who exemplifies the ideals of service to Punahou and the community. The “O” in Life Award, created in 1954, is the Punahou Alumni Association’s most prestigious award.
Thomas Kosasa ’63
The list of Tom Kosasa’s ’63 lifetime achievements is as long as it is varied. Add to it two new titles – retired Punahou Trustee and “O” in Life awardee. Kosasa retired from the Punahou Board of Trustees in late May. The Punahou Alumni Association (PAA) awarded Kosasa its most prestigious award this past summer and will host an awards ceremony to honor all of this year’s PAA awardees at a later date.
Kosasa entered Punahou in 1957 as a seventh grader from ‘A¯ina Haina Elementary. At Punahou, he was a member of the National Honor Society and rifle team, which won the state championship in 1963. He graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in architecture. He completed medical school at Dartmouth and finished his residency and fellowship at Harvard Medical School.
Kosasa rose to the rank of major in the U.S. Army; is an accomplished pilot and flight instructor with an ATP rating; a seasoned race car driver with a first-place finish in the North Atlantic Road Racing Series driving a Porsche; the author or co-author of more than 60 professional journal articles; is a pioneer in the field of infertility treatment in Hawai‘i; and has welcomed an amazing number of new lives into this world as an obstetrician-gynecologist.
Kosasa is also one of Punahou’s most generous donors. He and his family launched the Sidney and Minnie Kosasa Community for Grades 2 – 5, naming it in honor of his parents. He also made the pledge in May 2019 that officially put Punahou over the top of its $175 million
Ku‘u Punahou campaign.
“We are deeply grateful for all that Tom and his wife, Mi, have done for Punahou,” President Mike Latham ’86 said. “They have made an enormous difference and will always be an integral part of the Punahou ‘ohana.”
Charles S. Judd Jr. ’38 Humanitarian Award
The Charles S. Judd Jr. ’38 Humanitarian Award, also known as the Hawai‘i Humanitarian Award, is given to Punahou alumni who have made outstanding contributions to society in Hawai‘i which are deserving of recognition by Punahou.
Gene Doo ’57
Gene Doo’s ’57 medical office was wherever his patients were. Sometimes it was a one-room building in Wai‘anae, under a tree by the old Moloka‘i theatre, or in a military trailer-bus in a Kalihi church parking lot. For more than 40 years, the ear, nose, throat specialist regularly traveled to underserved communities to provide clinical services – often for free. Doo trained numerous medical students as an assistant professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. He has also supported many local nonprofit organizations, including Honolulu Museum of Art and the Rehabilitation Center of the Pacific.
Samuel Chapman Armstrong Humanitarian Award
The Samuel Chapman Armstrong Humanitarian Award is given to Punahou alumni who have made outstanding contributions to society garnering national or international recognition which are deserving of recognition by Punahou.
Patrick Kirch ’68
Patrick Kirch’s ’68 extensive and exemplary career in anthropology and archaeology have significantly shaped the way archaeologists and the general public view the pre-history of Hawai‘i and the Pacific. His distinguished career at the University of California at Berkeley and now University of Hawai‘i at Manoa includes extensive research, publications, community service and recognition at the international, national and state levels. “His passion has always been to research, record, interpret and publish the complex truths of the Pacific and Hawai‘i,” classmate Alfred Castle ’68 said.
Old School Award
The Old School Award was created in 1976, to recognize those who support Punahou in multiple ways. It’s presented to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of Punahou through outstanding service to the School.
Simone Botkin ’62 Andrade
For as long as there has been a Punahou Class of 1962, Simone Botkin ’62 Andrade has been at its center. A 13+ Club member, Bulletin correspondent, Reunion chair and Class cruise organizer, she has dedicated her time and love to her classmates, serving as a member of the PAA board, including a stint as president from 1983 – 84. “Simone is a genuinely caring human being whose warmth, good humor and optimistic outlook have surely touched the life of every member of our Class,” Ipolani Sylvester ’62 Bailey said.
Robby Ostrem ’65
Classmates call Robby Ostrem ’65 the “mayor” of LXV, their Class moniker. In fact, they say it’s hard
to think of anything he hasn’t done for Punahou and the Class. He’s volunteered on his Reunion
committee, at Carnival and served as a PAA board member and Bulletin correspondent. But it’s his acts of kindness that are his greatest contributions, organizing a garage sale to help a dying classmate or the many times he’s nominated others for awards and recognition. “Robby is the soul of our Class,” friend Daryl Sato ’65 said. “His heart is huge, and his kindness touches everyone. For the past 55 years, we have counted on him to captain us, chronicle our lives and connect us.”
Gary Pacarro ’70
For more than 25 years, Gary Pacarro ’70 has coached boys and girls basketball at Punahou. And while there have been numerous championships and awards, his impact on the lives of his players is the legacy he will leave behind when his coaching days are over. Pacarro has incorporated service into every aspect of his life, whether in basketball, with his job as director of Pacific University’s Hawai‘i office or as a Class of 1970 50th Reunion Chair. “Gary’s relationships are not ‘turn key’ transactions, they are lifetime commitments,” friend and teammate Will Morris ’70 said.
Senior Awards
Lauren Kwee ’20
Independent, confident, but also humble about her achievements, Lauren Kwee ’20 sets the bar high. Her teachers applaud her intellectual curiosity and her willingness to push herself, while other students say she didn’t hesitate to help others. While at Punahou, Kwee was a popular peer tutor and also worked as a teaching assistant in the Science Department. She also was a member of the Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Music program, along with participating on the Punahou Math Team, Debate Team, Science Bowl and Music Club. Kwee is now attending Harvard University.
Connor Seto ’20
Teachers and peers viewed him as a subtle leader – driven and intellectually brilliant. He was a rare student who graduated from Punahou with a 4.0 GPA, and he routinely earned departmental awards for his scholarship. Seto also didn’t hesitate to share his knowledge with others as a peer tutor and teaching assistant. Now in his first year at Harvey Mudd College in California, he participates in many service activities through his church, loves to draw, hike and paint.