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Paul lived his life without exception aspiring to achieve three goals: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind. Paul's father Colonel Benjamin Buckles Cassiday arrived in Honolulu during WW I where he met his soon to be wife when stationed as an officer in the aviation section predecessor to the US Air Force Airman, the Signal Corps, section Balloon Corps. He surveyed, surveilled and photographed the Hawaiian Islands and he was the first person to parachute over the Hawaiian Islands and it was from a unique Air Service balloon. He was a fifth generation Californian from Petaluma where Paul's grandfather was a judge as well as the keeper of vital records. Prior to moving to the West coast the Cassiday American ancestors had settled in Pennsylvania after originating from Scotland. Paul's mother Charlotte Harriet Lucas Cassiday, was a part-Hawaiian descendant of the "hanai" (adopted) daughter of Queen Kaahumanu who shared the throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom with King Kamehameha I, The Great, who had been victorious in uniting all the islands under one monarchy. Paul's maternal great grandfather, Captain Alexander Adams, was one of the first "white man" after Captain James Cook to arrive in The Sandwich Isles prior to the arrival of the East coast of American missionaries. As a young adventurer from Scotland Adams was an advisor to early Hawaiian kings. Adams was the first Commander in Chief of the Royal Navy having the responsibility to transport sandalwood from The Sandwich Isles to the Orient and across the globe. He designed the Hawaiian flag with his wife, Mary Lucas, for the purpose of identifying that his was not a pirate ship when entering Canton Harbor. The Hawaiian flag design is a combination of both the US and British flags. In 1815 Adams thwarted the attempted Russian invasion of the island of Kauai. As a reward from King Kamehameha I, The Great, Adams was gifted all of the Niu Valley Honolulu, Oahu land from the mountain top to the sea, the choice of either Kalihi Valley Honolulu, Oahu (that he accepted) or Waikiki, then a swamp, and all of Kilauea, Kauai lands. On the Adams plantation in Honolulu Kalihi Valley Adams studied and propagated plants and seeds that he had collected from his global sea voyages. Paul grew up in the family home in Niu Valley in Honolulu, Oahu with his parents Charlotte Harriet Lucas Cassiday and Colonel Benjamin Buckles Cassiday I and his older brother Ben where King Kamehameha the Great and Queen Kaahumanu in 1819 broke with ancient taboo laws on Oahu. Queen Kaahumanu was the first Hawaiian royal (Ali'i) to officially accept Christianity and was baptized Catholic. Paul's maternal grandfather, Charles Lucas, together with his brother built the first hotel on the beach at Waikiki, The Moana Hotel, "The grand first lady of Waikiki Beach". The Lucas Brothers Contracting and Honolulu Planeing Mill also built Iolani Palace (the only palace in the United States) and custom made all of the woodwork as well as being the first to offer "mass produced" furniture to the islands as Lucas Brothers were contracted to make hundreds of dining chairs for the Iolani Palace. Paul attended Punahou School in Honolulu. When his father was transferred to Washington, DC Paul attended St. Alban's, and later transferred to Culver Military Academy in Indiana from where he graduated high school. On the night of his Stanford University graduation he returned to Honolulu along with hundreds of other Hawaii college students who were sailing home for the summer on the infamous five day voyage on the Matson SS Lurline cruise ship. June 1950 was the start of Paul's illustrious business career first with American Factors in their insurance division, but later on as manager of their mortgage banking operations. From Mortgage Finance and Leasing Paul progressed to being the first employee president and founder of their commercial Lending activities as Amfac Financial. It later expanded to the mainland in many cities to enlarge their financial activities. In Hawaii those activities were expanded to include its first real estate operations including Hawaii Island, the Kaanapali Resort on Maui and the Silverado Resort in Napa, California. Paul left AMFAC as executive chairman of Asset management and executive first Vice President to join the Estate of James Campbell (currently the Campbell Corporation) as Trustee and later Chairman. He was instrumental in the planning and development of the island of Oahu's "Second City" of Kapolei and the diversification and purchases of numerous mainland properties. To benefit of the Estate of James Campbell Paul bought back from Amfac a major portion of Kaanapali Beach resort that he had been instrumental in creating for Amfac. Paul's charitable activities included serving as chairman of the Straub Hospital Foundation, Pacific Health Research, acting chairman of the Bishop Museum, chairman of the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, chairman of Hawaii Pacific College (currently University, president of the Representative Club, Friends of Hawaii Charities (The Sony Open Golf Championship), chairman of the Hawai'i Visitors Bureau. He was a member of The National Committee of the Whitney Museum of American Art, NY, The Collectors Committee of the National Gallery, Wash., DC, the Alexis de Tocqueville Committee of Aloha United Way, Indian Princes Girl Scouts YMCA. Paul served on numerous organizations and boards including Island Holiday's Hotels and Resorts. He was a professional member of the Urban Land Institute, Mortgage Bankers Association, Waikiki Marching and Chowder Society. He was a member of several private clubs including the Waikiki Rod and Gun Club, the Outrigger Canoe Club, the Pacific Club, the Riviera Country Club, CA, and The Bohemian Club, CA. Paul enjoyed tennis, skiing, deep sea fishing, the visual and performing arts and traveling the world with family, friends and on business. Although Paul partnered to develop several hotel and home golf resorts he said he never had the time to play the game as he preferred spending the time with his family whenever possible. Paul always expressed gratitude for his life filled with family love and generosity of friendships. Paul said, "I am grateful. The happiest days of my life have been being married to my wonderful wife of 52 years and the life we shared with our four wonderful children and five grandchildren." He also expressed gratitude for having the extraordinary good fortune and opportunities to have worked with exceptional partners. If there was a relationship Paul always considered those participants his partners; and many of them became his closest and best friends. Paul is survived by his wife Fredrica "Ricki" Cassiday, his son Ricky Paul Richard Cassiday, Jr. (Maite), daughters Lindsey Cassiday-Chang (Ralen) and Brooke Klein (Jimmy). The grandchildren are Paumalu Cassiday (Jhoanna), Henry Cassiday, Dillon "Kona" Klein, Keili Klein, and Ka'au Chang. Paul is pre-deceased by son, Cochran Bryan Cassiday and brother US Air Force Gen. Benjamin Buckles Cassiday, II. In lieu of flowers please be kind to your favorite person or charity. The immediate family will participate in a pending Aloha O'e celebration of life to honor a genuinely kind gentleman who lived his life with Aloha. Please refer to oahumortuary.com.Arrangements Provided By: Oahu Mortuary
