Peter Pekelo Pihana

Peter Pekelo Pihana, aged 93 years and five days, of New Franklin, Mo., passed away on June 2, 2025, at the University of Missouri Hospital.

Pete was born on May 28, 1932, in Kipahulu, Maui, Hawaii, a son of Herman Halemano Pihana and Nellie Atoa Pihana. His family moved to Honolulu on the island of Oahu after the death of his mother. Growing up in Honolulu near what is now the international airport, Pete was eight years old when he recalled lots of noise and black smoke from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Active in sports and band while attending Farmington High School, Pete later enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and attended boot camp in San Diego, Calif. He was on active duty during the Korean Conflict and was honorably discharged in 1952. During a trip while on leave in New Franklin, he met his future wife of 64 years, Carolyn Ray Lee. Returning to his base in San Diego, Carolyn and her close friend Vallie Jean Rolfing soon followed. Pete and Carolyn were married by a Justice of the Peace in Sacramento on July 4, 1953, and after Pete’s discharge in November 1953, they returned to live in New Franklin. Pete completed training and received his barber’s license working in barber shops in Slater and Columbia and settled down in Robinson’s Barber Shop in Boonville. He transitioned to the Mike Angelo Printing Company in 1970, becoming the plant’s cutting machine operator, and retired in 2006.

Pete was an active participant in the Multiple Sclerosis 150 bicycle race for several years. He also enjoyed playing the ukulele and singing with his wife, Carolyn. During the 1960s, he played rhythm guitar, bongos, and conga drums with the Brown Brothers Band. In later years, he enjoyed spending time on the family’s land near New Franklin Park. He was a member of the VFW Post 4367 and the American Legion Post 78, both in Slater. Pete served as a past president of the New Franklin Lion’s Club and was a member of the United Methodist Church. He and Carolyn leave behind a rich legacy of Hawaii’s magic and Missouri’s beauty. When asked by one of his granddaughters why he chose to stay in Missouri, he replied in true Hawaiian style, “You find beauty wherever you are.”

Pete is survived by his sons, Col. Patrick Pihana, Ret. (Sandra) of Fairfax, Va., Kerry W. Pihana (Denise) of New Franklin; daughters, Penny Pihana Shaw (Dale) of New Franklin and Kelly Pihana Rackley (Tim Mordica) of New Franklin; grandchildren, Makai (Gina) Shaw, Kalei (Mike) Holder, Mauka (Meganne) Shaw, Adam (Stacy) Pihana, Lt. Colonel Kathleen Pihana, Maile (Eric) Rhorer, Kolina (Zach) Baucom, Kalani Ray Pihana, and Anthea Keoka Rackley; great-grandchildren, Landon and Hudson Shaw, Colin Holder, Skylar and Laila Shaw, Maxwell and Samuel Pihana, Brody and Andy Rhorer and Kona and Luka Baucom.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Carolyn, and son-in-law, Bill Rackley.

Funeral services honoring Pete will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 9, 2025, at Markland-Yager Funeral Home in New Franklin. Visitation will be Sunday evening from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Pete’s funeral procession will be escorted to Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in New Franklin by the Mid-MO Patriot Guard Riders for burial with military honors next to his wife, Carolyn.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the Mid-MO Patriot Guard Riders.

Markland-Yager Funeral Home is honored to serve the Pihana family.