By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
Grandison "Grandy" Kealiihookano McGuire Perry, a former president of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Hawai‘i, died Feb. 10 at the Queen’s Medical Center. He was 69.
Perry served 10 years on the Make-A-Wish board and six of those years as president, said Lyn Brown, executive director of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Hawai‘i.
"He loved the children, which was why he loved Make-A-Wish," Brown said.
On several occasions, Perry and Brown visited children with life-threatening illnesses and helped grant their wishes.
"He and I did a number of wishes," Brown said. "Everyone loved him. He was a very sensitive and caring guy."
Perry also worked with his mother, Kathleen McGuire Perry, to manage the family-owned Willows restaurant in Mo‘ili‘ili before the family sold the restaurant in 1980.
Perry’s longtime companion, Louise A. Cavanagh, said Perry was proud of his Hawaiian heritage and showed it by wearing a small Hawaiian flag on his shirts.
Perry worked at Pan American World Airways for 10 years and assisted with the "Hawai‘i Calls" radio broadcast and recordings with Capitol Records.
He also worked at the state Senate for eight years, six of those years as a researcher and legislative assistant to the Senate president.
Perry, of Honolulu, also is survived by his son, Mark of Honolulu; daughters, Kathy and Robyn; granddaughter, Jessica of Tigard, Ore.; and stepdaughters, Vickie Munroe and Kristi Perry of Honolulu.
Graveside services will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. at Hawaiian Memorial Park in Kane‘ohe. The family requests aloha attire and no flowers.
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