WAIMANALO — James "Kimo" Pekelo Jr. died doing what he loved.

The 75-year-old Waimanalo man died in an apparent drowning Saturday while diving for squid off Waimanalo Beach Park.

Just 15 minutes before his body was found floating near shore, his wife of 51 years was out with the Waimanalo Citizens Beach Patrol.

"That morning I told him to be careful," said Margaret Pekelo. "We found his booties, his fins and watch, but not his snorkel, mask and spear.

"He always knew that if something happened to him it would be in the ocean."

Pekelo, who has lived in Waimanalo for at least 47 years on homestead land, dived for squid on a regular basis, sometimes as much as three times a week. Retired after 38 years with Hawaiian Telephone Co., Pekelo is survived by his wife, two daughters, a son, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

In honor of Pekelo, his children have hung his fins over the garage and his black dive booties were left to dry as he always left them, on their home's chain-link fence.

To the community of Waimanalo, the Pekelos are like auntie and uncle, said Wilson Ho, chairman of the Waimanalo Neighborhood Board. The family has been known to pitch in with the Hawai'i Foodbank, St. George Church of Waimanalo and with the citizens patrol.

"They're very active community servants," Ho said.

Byron Akiona, a Kailua resident, dived often with Pekelo. In fact, Pekelo was in the process of teaching Akiona everything he knew about diving for squid.

When they first met five years ago, Akiona would see Pekelo dragging a full bag of squid onto shore, while Akiona had a nearly empty bag. The two struck up a friendship and would dive together, Akiona said.

"I was stunned about this," said Akiona, a retired firefighter. "I am so sorry that I wasn't there for him. I was the guy who always took him.

"The family is always helping the Foodbank and the church. They're such a community-oriented family."

Yet, Margaret Pekelo said, he was a private man who preferred to give the limelight to his wife. He was strict about one thing: his children's education, Margaret Pekelo said.

Yesterday, as word got around to friends in the community, plates of food and offers to mow the yard poured into Pekelo's home.

"I kind of knew something like this would happen," Margaret Pekelo said. "I feel hurt in here, but the Lord took good care of us and of him."

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.