Aloha Ed Lindsey

2308

In Memoriam
Edwin Robert Naleilehua Lindsey Jr.

1939–2009

Ed and Puanani Lindsey
Ed and Puanani Lindsey.

Maui recently lost a true hero of the land, a man whose mana‘o (wisdom) was featured often in the pages of Maui No Ka ‘Oi.

Edwin Robert Naleilehua Lindsey Jr. was an educator, leader, and outspoken advocate for the ‘aina (land). In his “retirement” from twenty-five years of teaching, he served as president of the ‘Ohana (Family) Coalition, and was a founding member of Hui o Wa‘a Kaulua, a nonprofit group that gives young people opportunities to learn about Polynesian voyaging canoes and Hawaiian culture. Lindsey cofounded the Maui Nui Marine Resources Council, and with his wife, Puanani, established Maui Cultural Lands, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration and preservation of Hawaiian cultural sites.

Over the years, Ed Lindsey brought together hundreds of volunteers in conservation projects stretching from Honokowai Valley to the Makena coast. With a good day’s work, shared food and shared laughter, he introduced people to the concept of malama, of giving back to the land.

Shortly before “Uncle Ed” succumbed to cancer on June 25, 2009, the Maui County Council passed a resolution honoring him as a “beloved Maui treasure.” Council Chambers overflowed with Maui residents who gave hours of moving testimony about the impact he had on so many lives.

Although his passing leaves an immense void, Ed Lindsey’s legacy will endure as long as people with “like minds and like hearts” come together to serve the ‘aina.

Read the eulogy, written by MNKO writer Sky Barnhart, that was read at Ed Lindsey’s service.

Read more about Ed Lindsey’s work in Kaheawa Wind Power Farm.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

52 − = 46