Hawai'i's first Filipino physician, Ernest "Ernie" Miranda Santos, who died last month, had a long history of being Wahiawa's family doctor.

Dr. Santos was 84 when he died March 22. He left a legacy of doctoring a community as a staffer at Tripler Army Medical Center and was twice the chief of staff at Wahiawa General Hospital until 1976. In between, he was a family practitioner with an office on Kilani Avenue. He lived in 'Aiea.

Santos came to the United States from Mabini, Pangasinan, Philippines, and settled in Portland, Ore., where he graduated from the University of Oregon Medical School in 1949. He served an internship at St. Vincent Hospital in Portland and then joined the U.S. Medical Corps in 1950 as a captain in the Korean War. He spent seven months in Korea with the 25th Infantry Division from Schofield Barracks. Santos also served in Japan.

He arrived in Hawai'i in 1952 and stayed.

He is survived by his wife, Myrna B. Santos; daughters, Yolanda Santos-King and Melissa C. Santos; three granddaughters; sisters; and brothers-in-law.

Visitation is 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Mililani Mortuary Mauka Chapel; wake service at 7 p.m. A second visitation will be at 9 a.m. Thursday in the chapel. Funeral 10:30 a.m., with burial at 11 a.m. at Mililani Memorial Park. Flowers are welcome and aloha attire is suggested.