Victim of the Oklahoma City bombing. Music was one of the joys of Peter Avillanoza's life. He played a variety of musical instruments and loved to compose and sing Hawaiian songs. A strong supporter of the community, Avillanoza was a football and baseball coach and taught judo at the YMCA. A native of Honolulu, Avillanoza was a former police officer and firefighter in Honolulu. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in public administration. He was transferred to Oklahoma City from California to become the director of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity shortly before the bombing. Before the transfer, he worked in the HUD offices in San Francisco, Orange County, Calif., and Hawaii. He also worked for the Department of Justice. He had 6 Children and 14 Grandchildren.
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Published in the Oklahoma Today magazine, Winter 1996 issue, if you would like to use some/all on his memorial:
In March of 1995, Peter Avillanoza arrived in the OKC HUD office from California. A Honolulu native, he quickly made it clear he loved his family, his job, and Oklahoma. "He loved the people in Oklahoma," said his wife, Darlene Dohi-Avillanoza. "He also loved his job with HUD. He like helping people."
Peter was known to champion those who had been discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, or disabilities. His wife and children remember him as a father who would drive 6 hours to babysit his grandchildren for an evening (he once flew from his home in California to Florida to help a daughter stranded at home with her children and a dead car battery). "That's the kind of person he was," said Darlene.
A former officer with the Honolulu Police Dept, a volunteer fireman with the Honolulu Fire Dept, and a handyman of some note ("he built our gazebo and patio deck," said Darlene), Peter was a musician at heart. He played keyboard, drums, and clarinet (among other instruments), sang and composed Hawaiian music, and even played Las Vegas while working for the EEOC in Nevada for 5 years (his father played tuba with the Royal Hawaiian Band).
In a family that counted in the dozens, Peter, or "Junior" as he was known to his family, was the one who kept everyone else in touch. "He was our center of everything," said Darlene.
A graduate of Kaimuki HS, he earned his bachelor's in criminal justice, and his master's in public administration while raising 5 children and playing music on the weekends. He married Darlene in the early 1990s and became a father to her 4 children. He was a member of Calvary Chapel. He is buried in Hawaii.
---------------
Published in the Oklahoma Today magazine, Winter 1996 issue, if you would like to use some/all on his memorial:
In March of 1995, Peter Avillanoza arrived in the OKC HUD office from California. A Honolulu native, he quickly made it clear he loved his family, his job, and Oklahoma. "He loved the people in Oklahoma," said his wife, Darlene Dohi-Avillanoza. "He also loved his job with HUD. He like helping people."
Peter was known to champion those who had been discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, or disabilities. His wife and children remember him as a father who would drive 6 hours to babysit his grandchildren for an evening (he once flew from his home in California to Florida to help a daughter stranded at home with her children and a dead car battery). "That's the kind of person he was," said Darlene.
A former officer with the Honolulu Police Dept, a volunteer fireman with the Honolulu Fire Dept, and a handyman of some note ("he built our gazebo and patio deck," said Darlene), Peter was a musician at heart. He played keyboard, drums, and clarinet (among other instruments), sang and composed Hawaiian music, and even played Las Vegas while working for the EEOC in Nevada for 5 years (his father played tuba with the Royal Hawaiian Band).
In a family that counted in the dozens, Peter, or "Junior" as he was known to his family, was the one who kept everyone else in touch. "He was our center of everything," said Darlene.
A graduate of Kaimuki HS, he earned his bachelor's in criminal justice, and his master's in public administration while raising 5 children and playing music on the weekends. He married Darlene in the early 1990s and became a father to her 4 children. He was a member of Calvary Chapel. He is buried in Hawaii.
Victim of the Oklahoma City bombing. Music was one of the joys of Peter Avillanoza's life. He played a variety of musical instruments and loved to compose and sing Hawaiian songs. A strong supporter of the community, Avillanoza was a football and baseball coach and taught judo at the YMCA. A native of Honolulu, Avillanoza was a former police officer and firefighter in Honolulu. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in public administration. He was transferred to Oklahoma City from California to become the director of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity shortly before the bombing. Before the transfer, he worked in the HUD offices in San Francisco, Orange County, Calif., and Hawaii. He also worked for the Department of Justice. He had 6 Children and 14 Grandchildren.
---------------
Published in the Oklahoma Today magazine, Winter 1996 issue, if you would like to use some/all on his memorial:
In March of 1995, Peter Avillanoza arrived in the OKC HUD office from California. A Honolulu native, he quickly made it clear he loved his family, his job, and Oklahoma. "He loved the people in Oklahoma," said his wife, Darlene Dohi-Avillanoza. "He also loved his job with HUD. He like helping people."
Peter was known to champion those who had been discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, or disabilities. His wife and children remember him as a father who would drive 6 hours to babysit his grandchildren for an evening (he once flew from his home in California to Florida to help a daughter stranded at home with her children and a dead car battery). "That's the kind of person he was," said Darlene.
A former officer with the Honolulu Police Dept, a volunteer fireman with the Honolulu Fire Dept, and a handyman of some note ("he built our gazebo and patio deck," said Darlene), Peter was a musician at heart. He played keyboard, drums, and clarinet (among other instruments), sang and composed Hawaiian music, and even played Las Vegas while working for the EEOC in Nevada for 5 years (his father played tuba with the Royal Hawaiian Band).
In a family that counted in the dozens, Peter, or "Junior" as he was known to his family, was the one who kept everyone else in touch. "He was our center of everything," said Darlene.
A graduate of Kaimuki HS, he earned his bachelor's in criminal justice, and his master's in public administration while raising 5 children and playing music on the weekends. He married Darlene in the early 1990s and became a father to her 4 children. He was a member of Calvary Chapel. He is buried in Hawaii.
---------------
Published in the Oklahoma Today magazine, Winter 1996 issue, if you would like to use some/all on his memorial:
In March of 1995, Peter Avillanoza arrived in the OKC HUD office from California. A Honolulu native, he quickly made it clear he loved his family, his job, and Oklahoma. "He loved the people in Oklahoma," said his wife, Darlene Dohi-Avillanoza. "He also loved his job with HUD. He like helping people."
Peter was known to champion those who had been discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, or disabilities. His wife and children remember him as a father who would drive 6 hours to babysit his grandchildren for an evening (he once flew from his home in California to Florida to help a daughter stranded at home with her children and a dead car battery). "That's the kind of person he was," said Darlene.
A former officer with the Honolulu Police Dept, a volunteer fireman with the Honolulu Fire Dept, and a handyman of some note ("he built our gazebo and patio deck," said Darlene), Peter was a musician at heart. He played keyboard, drums, and clarinet (among other instruments), sang and composed Hawaiian music, and even played Las Vegas while working for the EEOC in Nevada for 5 years (his father played tuba with the Royal Hawaiian Band).
In a family that counted in the dozens, Peter, or "Junior" as he was known to his family, was the one who kept everyone else in touch. "He was our center of everything," said Darlene.
A graduate of Kaimuki HS, he earned his bachelor's in criminal justice, and his master's in public administration while raising 5 children and playing music on the weekends. He married Darlene in the early 1990s and became a father to her 4 children. He was a member of Calvary Chapel. He is buried in Hawaii.
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