Big Island Mayor Harry Kim sensed there was something special about Bryan J. Baptiste when he first met the Kaua'i mayor six years ago.

"I've always said Kaua'i people don't know how special this man is," Kim said tonight, remembering Baptiste who died today.

"He was a man of heart, totally," Kim added. "This man was always looking and feeling for others, his goal in life was to make life better for mankind. He wanted to spend his life working with people to resolve problems."

Kim said he spoke with Baptiste while the Kaua'i mayor was at The Queen's Medical Center after his heart bypass surgery. Baptiste was considering not running for another term.

"He thought about why people are so confrontational today," Kim said. "He was looking toward the end of his term to do something with problem resolution."