Life and legacy of Colleen Hanabusa honored at Hawaii State Capitol

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A public memorial on Thursday honored the life and service of longtime Hawaii politician and attorney Colleen Hanabusa.

Hanabusa died March 6. She was 74.

Hanabusa served in Congress representing Hawaii’s 1st District from 2011 to 2015. She returned to Congress in 2016 after the death of U.S. Rep. Mark Takai.

On Thursday morning, the Hawaii State Senate recognized Hanabusa’s decade-long career at the state Capitol. She served as a state senator from 1999 to 2010, representing the Waianae district, and became Hawaii’s first female Senate president in 2007.

The Rev. Jeffrey Soga of the Waianae Hongwanji Mission opened the ceremony with a chant.

Lawmakers then shared memories of Hanabusa.

“The entire point of life is to take chances on dreams that seem crazy to most, but feel like destiny to you, and I think that embodies the Colleen Hanabusa that I knew… unwilling to compromise and give up because she knew what she was doing was right for the people of Hawaii,” said Senate President Ron Kouchi.

Beyond her political career, Hanabusa served as chair of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board of directors. She stepped down for health reasons last September.

She is survived by her husband, John Souza.