Tomas, Ernesto's Obituary
Ernesto Campos Tomas
April 18, 1940 – February 5, 2026
Ernesto Campos Tomas, 85, of Pukalani, passed away peacefully on February 5, 2026, in the comfort of his home.
Ernesto was born on April 18, 1940, in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, to Victor and Prudencia Tomas. He arrived in Honolulu in 1959 by boat on a student visa as a pre-med student. His voyage from the Philippines to Honolulu lasted one month. Ernesto moved to Maui in 1964.
After receiving his U.S. citizenship, he petitioned for the rest of his family - his parents and siblings - to immigrate from the Philippines to Hawaii. He eventually pivoted from pre-med to construction. His knack for problem solving and optimistically taking on difficult tasks, quickly achieved him the position of General Superintendent for the Hawaii Carpenters’ Union. He eventually retired from the union.
In his free time, Ernesto enjoyed gardening and took great pride in caring for his plants. He also had a gentle heart for animals and was known for feeding and looking after them whenever he could. Above all, he cherished traveling and spending quality time with his family.
Ernesto is survived by his 7 children, Edgar Tomas (Charlotte), Ernesto Tomas Jr. (Heidi), Virginia Nakamura, Reynaldo Tomas (Heidi), Michelle Duarte (Keith), Jennifer Aganos (Bronson), Shantel Cruz (Charles); sister, Carmelita Orquia (Clem); 18 grandchildren and 28 great- grandchildren.
Ernesto is now together with his father, Victor Tomas; mother, Prudentia Tomas; brother, Victor Tomas Jr.; and sister Mila Tomas Alupay.
Visitation and service will be held at 9am to 12pm on Sunday, February 22, 2026 at Nakamura Mortuary; followed by burial at 12:30pm at Maui Memorial Park.
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