Gregg Torigoe Obituary

GREGG DOUGLAS TORIGOE 1951-2024 He was a lover of the aina, especially Manoa, an avid jazz fan, record collector, selfless and loyal friend and loved by all who knew him. Gregg Torigoe, 73, of Honolulu, Hawaii died of heart failure on May 25. 2024 surrounded by friends in Kaneohe, Hawaii. He was born in Honolulu on February 21, 1951 to Takeo and Kimiko Torigoe. They were doting and loving parents who celebrated Gregg's achievements, including a brown belt in judo, and consoled him in his down times. From a young age, he took a number of trips to Spokane, Washington where Kimiko Torigoe had family and, on one trip, rode with the family from Spokane to San Francisco. As a child, he played weekly with cousins from the extended Torigoe family and took trips to Hilo where many of them lived. He attended Kuhio Elementary School, Stevenson Intermediate School and graduated in 1969 from Roosevelt High School, with which he visited the Soviet Union as part of the school band. During his college years, he DJed at KTUH, the University of Hawaii radio station and graduated in 1969. He joined the government program VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). In VISTA, he organized in Louisiana and made lifelong friendships with those who fought for justice alongside him. Returning to Hawaii, he worked for the Department of Transportation at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. He was an airport greeter, rising to supervisor before he retired. (He tells of the time he escorted Imelda Marcos when she arrived from the Philippines after her husband Ferdinand Marcos was driven from the presidency!). He was a dedicated swimmer, once in a rough water swim taking place a mile off Ala Moana park and Waikiki. He was also active in the campaigns of his friend, former state senator Brian Taniguchi, whom he had known since intermediate school. He is survived by his brother, Dennis Torigoe, of White Plains, NY, his nephews Frederick Torigoe of Schenectady, NY, Eugene Torigoe and Eugene's sons Luke and Alan of Meadville, PA, and Daniel Torigoe of Chesterbrook, PA. The memorial service for Gregg Torigoe will be held on July 13, 2024 at the Church of the Crossroads, 1212 University Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii 96826 at 1030 a.m. with a lunch to follow. (Please note that the parking lot makai of the Church is a paid lot and not part of the Church). The family asks that no koden be given. Contributions may be given in Gregg's name to the Church of the Crossroads. The family thanks all those who have befriended and supported Gregg throughout his life. Gregg Douglas Torigoe Arrangements Provided By: Nuuanu Memorial Park & Mortuary LLC