For those of you who don't know me, Jamal and I have been like brothers since he was 2 years old and I was five years old. I first met "Mal" when he stumbled onto my driveway as a two year old in diapers, with his hand in a bag of Cheerios, and his mom yelling for him to get back in the house. I thought it was so funny that he had escaped from two doors down in only a diaper. From that day forward Mal and I grew up together. Although I was a few years older, he quickly became my closest friend and the closest thing to a brother I could have.

As you can imagine the devastation of his early and unexpected death has not only left me desperate to assist his family but has resonated with so many people who Jamal has known and loved. Many have reached out asking how they can help. The goal of this fundraiser is to be able to pay for all of the funeral and burial costs, as well as to facilitate the much needed help that Jamal's youngest surviving child will require as he transition into these first few months without the sole source of income he relied on and to aid his middle child who is partially independent.

Jamal has been a boat Captain for many years. Working the parasailing and whale watching seasons on both Maui and Oahu. As you can imagine, Hawaii's economy was greatly impacted by the pandemic and changed the landscape of these activities. Jamal was offered an opportunity to captain a boat in Rhode Island for the summer which seemed like a great plan to get his family back on track financially. As a result, Jamal moved to Newport, Rhode Island for the summer months and for the first time since his kids were born, was away for an extended time. This is where Jamal passed away.

Jamal, his fiancé, Karla Watson, and his son, Bo (who turned 17 three days after his dad's death) knew that they would have to move out of the home they had been living in for the last few years during the time that Jamal would be away. At this point, his youngest son, Bo, is left to navigate where he should reside, how to afford the costs, and how to maneuver these transitions. Thankfully his middle daughter, Jordan, has been working to develop full independence and relied less on Jamal and Karla's support. Jamal's oldest daughter, Kirra, is already fully independent and is raising a family of her own. Jamal's fiancé, Karla, has and will continue to be a great support for Jamal's children. As many of you are probably wondering, no, Jamal did not have a life insurance policy. Believe me, it pains me greatly to write those words as not only his best friend, but as a 15 year State Farm agent.

I am assuming that those reading this and supporting would know who this man was and how he lived and loved. In case not, Jamal was a larger than life character who enthusiastically embraced experiences and the people around him. He had a big booming voice and laugh. He was ferocious in the water and cared for every human life that stepped on those boats. Jamal has a list a mile-long of amazing reviews from the guests who parasailed and whale watched. He embodied the Aloha spirit and glorified a sense of Ohana. To his immediate friends and family he was nothing less than a love, could be relentless with his stories, and was always ready for a good time.