Tom Gill, longtime Hawaii politician, dies at 87
Pacific Business News (Honolulu) — Chad Blair (June 3, 2009)
Former Hawaii congressman and lieutenant governor Tom Gill died Wednesday.
Gill, who died at Leahi Hospital in Honolulu after years of failing health, was 87.
Gill, a Democrat, served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1963 to 1965 and as lieutenant governor from 1966 to 1970.
Born in Honolulu, served in the territorial and Hawaii House of Representatives from 1958 through 1962.
Gill, an attorney who was a strong and early supporter of civil rights, was among the most outspoken and liberal members of Hawaii’s Democratic Party as it came to dominate state politics in the 1960s.
Among Democrats, Gill was known as something of an outsider, and he was an outspoken critic of what he saw as “machine-style” politics.
He ran for governor unsuccessfully twice, including against his boss, incumbent Democrat John Burns in 1970. He also ran against George Ariyoshi in 1974.
Gill is survived by his wife, Lois, and brother Lorin T. Gill; sons Eric, who heads UNITE-HERE Local 5, the hotel and restaurant workers’ union, Gary, a former Honolulu City Council member, and Tony, a labor lawyer; and three other children, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.