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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, August 17, 2002

Samuel Kanamu Jr., boxing trainer, dead at 75

By Shayna Coleon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Samuel Kanamu Jr., a veteran trainer of local amateur boxers and former head of the local Golden Gloves program, died Thursday at his home in Kane'ohe. He was 75.

Kanamu
Kanamu was born in Ke'anae, Maui, in 1927 and grew up with a passion for boxing, said his son, Robert Kanamu.

"He gave his life to coaching," the son said. "He tried to bring in young kids to the gym and steer them into a straightened-out path, and get them off the streets."

In 1949, Samuel Kanamu was the state's amateur light-heavyweight boxing champion, and in 1956, he moved to O'ahu and worked as a mason for 40 years.

Kanamu became known as Coach Sam when he started to coach kids at Kalakaua Gym in 1981, and many of the kids thought of Kanamu as a father figure, his son said.

Through the years, Kanamu coached youth boxing teams that traveled to the Mainland for competitions, and he would often train his boxers by making them wake up at 5:30 a.m. and run 3 1/2 miles.

Kanamu was head of the Golden Gloves program here in 1996.

"He kept everyone straight and honest because he was a fair and honest man," Robert Kanamu said. "He had this integrity and love for life that made him so dedicated."

Samuel Kanamu is survived by wife Cecilia; sons Robert, Cecil, Samuel III and Michael; sisters Leimamo Lee, Leialoha Winkler and Leikula Alvarez; brothers, Walter and Matthew; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, with services at 11:45 a.m. at Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary. Burial to follow at Valley of the Temples Cemetery. Aloha attire requested.