Heroes Next Door honorees are almost by definition soft-spoken folks who do what they do with no thought of publicity or other public recognition. Wayne Paakaula certainly fits that profile. His first reaction on learning that he had been named one of this year’s Heroes — for his years of work in theater and as a Handi-Van driver — was that he wasn’t worthy.

“I am very appreciative, but not worthy,” Paakaula said. “I truly am uncomfortable about making my accomplishments public, mainly because there are so many others who deserve to be recognized more than I do.”

Modesty aside, Paakaula, 60, deserves recognition.

In 23 years as a Handi-Van driver he became friends with many of his passengers and went out of his way to make sure they got where they needed to go. His involvement in local theater these days perpetuates the legacy of the man who helped him turn his life around, the late James A. Nakamoto, who headed the McKinley High School drama program from 1963 until 1990.

In 1973, Paakaula was a young man with a bad reputation when he dropped out of McKinley. About a year later, he stopped by the campus to pick up someone who was involved with the school’s production of “Camelot.”

“I sat in to watch and shortly after the rehearsal began, I was hooked. Right then I felt that this was something I wanted to be involved with,” Paakaula reminisced recently. “I stayed after rehearsal was over and met Jim Nakamoto. I already had a reputation that wasn’t very good with him but he extended an open invitation to me in spite of the past to help with the productions there. From that point on, I was determined to get my life back in order.”

Paakaula helped Nakamoto with the McKinley theater program for the next five years. He got his GED and then studied Hawaiiana, theater and stagecraft at Leeward Community College. He also became part of a six-person theater company that performed in local schools as part of the DOE Artists In The Schools program.

Many years later Paakaula was working with Nakamoto on a Los Angeles production of Ed Sakamoto’s history epic, “Our Hearts Were Touched With Fire.” Sakamoto asked him to stage-manage another play, “Dead of Night,” for him at Kumu Kahua. Fifteen years later Paakaula is still an active member of the Kumu Kahua production staff.

Paakaula is also involved behind the scenes in rebuilding the McKinley theater program that faded away after Nakamoto retired in 1990. Nakamoto’s death in 2013 became the catalyst for its resurrection. A memorial show in 2014 drew many members of the community — actor Dann Seki, state Rep. Marcus Oshiro (D, Wahiawa-Whitmore-Poamoho) and the late Castle High School theater director Ron Bright — along with many alumni of the old McKinley Theatre Group.

Paakaula credits McKinley Principal Ron Okamura and faculty member Matthew Kim with the revival that followed. The school once again has a drama class, and performed a full-length production of “Godspell Jr.,” in March that brought musical theater back to to the McKinley stage.

Another old-time McKinley theater tradition, the Faculty Show, is also coming back. Paakaula is writing the script and local theater veteran William Ha‘o is directing.

Opening night is April 8.