Charles W. Key
(1929 - 2008)

It is with deep sorrow that Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert mourns the passing of our partner, colleague, and friend Charles W. Key. Charlie died at home September 10, 2008. He was 79.

Charlie was a man of wry charm whose legacy in his community, with the Bar, and in our firm which bears his name, is secure. Prior to attending Stanford Law School, he served in the Navy as both an enlisted man and as an officer. He also served as President of the Hawaii State Bar Association, and was instrumental in “unifying” the Bar, requiring that all lawyers become members. Charlie was elected as Hawaii's delegate to the American Bar Association, and also was a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics. He was consistently recognized by his peers as among the Best Lawyers in Hawaii.

Of course we shall always remember Charlie as a candid, forthright, and accomplished lawyer. But where he remains in our hearts more deeply is as the friend and mentor who quietly demonstrated to us that the practice of law can be both a personal service and a collegial profession. A calling where consideration and courtesy still have a place even among the most zealous of advocates.

Thank you, Charlie, and aloha oe.

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