Juju Pang

Juju passed away today. It’s pouring so hard in a way that just makes sense. It feels like Hawai’i is sobbing with us.

I had a migraine last night that felt like a premonition, the pressure and pain that has been building. A reminder of how sensitive I can be. A human barometer.

This morning I was cleaning my house, doing my normal Sunday chores, when a thought popped into my head about Kimo Holligener’s memorial service. Kimo was one of Juju’s best friends, and last June Juju asked me to accompany him to the service. Juju introduced me to everyone as his driver, then later yelled at me for not telling him his shirt was buttoned all Kapakahi1

I thought about how Juju was so impressed with how Kimo’s family had set everything up. “Wow, this is nice,” he said. “It’s like a museum. Look at all these photos. This is how I want my memorial service. Take notes.” He half-joked. Then, pointing again, “And the caterer. We need to get the menu.”

We would later get that same catering company to cater his 85th birthday party on the front lawn.

Kalua pork, pork laulau, sweet and sour spare ribs, chicken long rice with broth, fried noodles topped with char siu and Chinese parsley, potato-mac salad, lomi lomi salmon, purple sweet potato, pineapple chunks, rice, and poi.- Marians Catering in Wahiawā It was a perfect menu, local-boys Kimo & Pang approved.

I wrote this note to Kimo after the service to remember how sweet their gathering was.

“Kimo- Juju & Sam reminisced about days back with Chubby Mitchel. Story after story, they remembered them all because of how important these memories are. They talked about being the second surf crew to take over the Ala Moana Scene 60 years back. Juju drove the classic MG Roadster! They were laughing about how styling you all were, cruising Waikiki with the top down. Seems like everyone couldn’t help but notice you guys. -Aloha Nui Loa”

As I was thinking of this service, I noticed police lights in the driveway just as my phone rang. It was Polly. Juju had just passed away. He was home and passed peacefully in his bed.

When I search for photos of Juju I have 1117 in my phone to choose from. I’m grateful that he was such a big part of my life for the last ten years. Juju didn’t care if he wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea and sometimes, he certainly wasn’t mine. He was unapologetic in that way. He would shrug and go right back to his emails. But he was far more tender than he would let on.

He was an animal lover, always bending down all the way to pet the dogs or cats at his feet, always making time to feed his fish. He was a lover of food, and he made sure to tell you exactly what he thought. At least you know he was always honest.

Juju was a brilliant artist but didn’t have the confidence or discipline to truly capitalize on these innate skills. In the last few years, we would paint together. These are times I cherish deeply. I loved to watch how he choose colors. He would always say how bad he was and he could never accept a rave review. He was truly gifted.

Juju traveled the world many times over collecting fragments of the places he loved along the way. His souvenirs were his stories and he remember every one of them! He could tell you every route to drive from Maine to Reno and recall lavish stories from apartments in Paris to parties in Bali.

Juju was a proud Punahou graduate. “Full of booze and far from heaven, we’re the Class of ’57,” was the mantra printed on the lanyard he gave me after coming home from a reunion a few years ago. That was the year he received an award for being the oldest alumnus who lived the closest. How cute.

Juju was a tender little boy at heart. That’s who I always saw. I asked him once, a few years ago, how old he felt in his mind. He thought for a moment and said, “Hmm… about eighteen.” And I said, yeah, that makes sense.

I went with him to visit his parents at the Hsu Yun Temple in Nuʻuanu Valley. He showed me his process for greeting them. First, you light two sticks of incense, then you bow twice. He instructed me carefully. “Hi Mommy and Daddy, this is my friend Abigail. She is very happy to meet you.”

I was taken aback with how sweet and small Juju felt in that moment, like a little boy holding his mom’s hand.

That night when we came back home, we saw a green praying mantis on the Buddha head on the back deck. We agreed that it was his parents coming to thank us for our visit. Juju would always make time to visit his parents and certainly always affirmed how grateful he was for them , especially them giving him this house.

He would always say “ Wow- We are SO lucky to live here” and we would all nod and agree with deep gratitude.

Juju and I were both born in the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. He was born in 1939, the Earth Rabbit, and I in 1987, the Fire Rabbit. Two lucky little rabbits. We both felt lucky to live our lives with such abundance. Life hack: gratitude is how you make abundance grow.

A few years ago, I took a poetry workshop to learn the basics of constructing a poem. Juju would always listen graciously to my work, even though poetry “wasn’t his thing.” My poetry instructor assigned us the task of writing a poem from the vantage point of someone else. This was an exercise I never would have thought to do on my own, and thought for a while how I would even write such a poem. As I thought hard on the task, Juju was the only person I could think of.

My name is Gerrit
But no one calls me that these days...
My son wears that name more than me
I was born the Year of the Rabbit...
But favor fruit far over vegetables- always sharing my papayas with the birds
My father's father lead the way
for our family's arrival to Hawaii from China
They built the legacy.
A seed of wealth planted
birthed a small general store
1920- Honolulu
The legacy grew...
Lucky Rabbit some may say
but I've lived my life for myself
and through that expanse discovered
the secret nooks this world has to offer.
My name is Gerrit
but no one calls me that these days...
To All I am
Lucky Juju Pang

Gerrit “Juju” Pang

July 17, 1939 – December 14, 2025

Details regarding memorial services will be shared soon.