Gorman Noland, a pioneer political activist
By Bob Krauss
Advertiser Staff Writer
Gorman Noland, a Realtor and colorful Democrat, died at Castle Memorial Hospital on July 31. He served as sergeant at arms during some of the most fractious sessions of the Territorial Legislature in the 1950s. He was 87.
A member of the rebellious faction that opposed John A. Burns supporters, Noland was sergeant at arms when former Maui Mayor Elmer Cravalho and Charles Kauhane teamed up to unseat Vincent Esposito, speaker of the House.
NOLAND
In spite of Noland's support of Esposito, Cravalho reappointed him sergeant at arms when Cravalho became speaker.
Noland supported Dan Inouye ever since his entrance on the political scene. Inouye said of Noland, "He was one of the early pioneers in the political movement that assured Hawai'i of having two political parties. He was an activist when activists were not popular."
A product of the Great Depression, Noland went to work at age 13 in a Henry Ford auto plant. He came to Hawai'i in 1940 and worked at the Pearl Harbor shipyard with Eddie Sherman, later to become a newspaper columnist, and Ed Sheehan, who became a radio personality and author.
The men lived in a dormitory. Noland met Sheehan for the first time at a bar and they discovered that they not only lived in same dormitory housing but were roommates. They had never met because one worked the day shift and the other worked nights.
As a Realtor, Noland developed Maunaloa Estates on the slopes of Kilauea volcano.
He is survived by his former wives Teddi Medina and Gladys Tigner; sons, Michael of Henderson, Nev., and John of Honolulu; daughters, Patricia Chun of Manoa, Mary Ann Bratschi of Switzerland and Kathleen Noland of Kailua, Hawai'i; and 15 grandchildren.
Services will be private
