There were always a lot of circled dates on Piggy Kaleohano’s calendar, especially in March when it was Haili Volleyball Tournament time.
The 58th edition of the Haili will honor Kaleohano, who died June 20, 2014. He was 56.
He was a member in the Hawaiian band Da Blahlas, and an audio engineer who helped provide sound for the Merrie Monarch Festival.
Kaleohano also played in the Haili back in the day, along with his mom Sally Kaleohano. The Aunty Sally Luau House is named after her.
“His mom was always involved in lots of different sports, and played in the Haili,” said Missy Kaleohano, Piggy’s wife. “In his early 20s, he was on a volleyball team with a bunch of guys from Keaukaha that played in the Haili.
“My husband was an old soul kind of guy. Certain perennial events he would mark them. Haili was one of those for him.”
The main thing for Piggy was seeing old friends and shooting the breeze, whether he was playing, watching games or entertaining at his mom’s luau house.
“We would watch games in the early years, and see people we would not have seen in a long time, people who went away and came back to play in the Haili,” Missy said. “It’s the fellowship. Of course, it’s competitive, but also fun. The Haili is very inclusive. Win or lose, you feel good about being there.”
Aunty Sally’s legacy is much the same way. As a supervisor for the Hoolulu Complex, she was everywhere, and her presence made everyone have a better day.
Mom and son shared that same trait, especially when Piggy took the stage. The audience always knew where his heart belonged.
“He was one of the best entertainers from Keaukaha,” Waiakea volleyball coach Ecko Osorio said. “When he was on stage, it was like a luau and always felt like home. The feeling of Keaukaha was coming out of him.
“He had a good heart, and it’s the saddest loss for us.”
Richard Kaleohano was a messy eater as a toddler, and that’s how he picked up his nickname.
“When he was a toddler, he would throw his food off the table, climb down and eat off the floor,” Missy said. “His mom folks would tease him, and call him a little Piggy during baby times, and the name stuck.”
The former Patricia Detor has a similar story how she became Missy Kaleohano.
“My mom’s name is also Patricia,” Missy said. “They were calling me little Missy Patricia. The Patricia went bye-bye, but the Missy part stuck.”
Haili coordinator Lyndell Lindsey knows the best part about the tournament is it’s something of an annual reunion.
“It’s the fellowship, getting to see old faces and meeting new people,” she said.
Lindsey could add one more thing to that stage — honoring old friends like Piggy Kaleohano, whose heart always held a space for the Haili.
“My mother-in-law was a rare gem, and so was Piggy,” Missy Kaleohano said.
Haili Volleyball Tournament
When: Monday-Saturday
Where: Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium; Hilo Armory; UH-Hilo; Kawananakoa Gym
Championships: 9 a.m. Saturday at Hilo Civic
