Bill "Maggie" Maguire, 82, who retired after serving many years as branch manager for Carrier Air Conditioning in Honolulu, died Jan. 13 in Kirkland, Wash. Bill, a big and tough athlete, was born in Kau on Hawaii island and raised in Honolulu, where he attended Stevenson Intermediate and Roosevelt High and was known as Maggie. His daughter, Karen Maguire, organized a memorial for him that was held Saturday at the Pacific Club. Puamana performed, as did a trio led by Maggie’s brother, Keoki Maguire.
Maggie’s managerial skills were evident at Stevenson, where he organized and coached a sandlot football team that played against kids from other schools.
They played tackle football without shoes and helmets. Among those playing with Maggie were his brother John Maguire, the Clark brothers Jimmy and Herman, Kenny "Bones" Johnston, James "Longie" Defontes, Don Emerson, Kimo Pa, Vernon "Bully" Windrath, Hank McKeague, Frank Steinmiller, Benny Anahu, James "Itchie" Miyasato and Kamehameha friends Swinton "Bunny" Aldrich and Tom Hugo. One of their biggest and best games was against Punahou’s eighth- and ninth-grade team, an organized squad that wore pads, shoes and helmets.
After seeing how well the Stevenson boys played, Punahou recruited the Clark brothers, both of whom wound up playing for several years in the National Football League after college, and Johnston, Defontes and Emerson. Maggie was recruited by Punahou but chose to go to Roosevelt and play football with others from the Stevenson team and his schoolmates, who included Alex McLain, Paul Lewis, Harvey Lung, Leo Porter, Ellsworth "Breezer" Bush, Herbert Ching, Ken Dias, Howard Kruse, Larry Mosher, Frankie Paz and others. Maggie and Hugo wound up at Denver U. Hugo played professionally in Canada.
One of the Punahou eighth-graders Maggie’s team played against — Charley Ane — was perhaps the smartest recruiting choice Punahou ever made. Not only was Charley a standout player who played in the NFL for several years, but his brothers Gilbert, David and Danny Ane followed him to Punahou and starred, as did Charley’s son Kale Ane, the Puns’ current head football coach, who also played in the NFL. …
HAWAII’S entertainers will turn out Sunday at Hilton Hawaiian Village, 3 to 6 p.m., as they do each year to mark the anniversary of singer Alfred Apaka‘s death. Alfred would have been 93. Things will start with the lei draping of the much-loved singer’s statue at the Tapa Tower. Loads of singing and hula will follow on the Tapa Bar stage. Singer Jeff Apaka, Alfred’s son, is tribute organizer. …
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Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
