Eugene Villaluz was born in Tokyo, Japan to Caesar and Shigeko Kudo Villaluz. As his father was in the military, the family moved to several postings, crossing the globe and finally settled in Honolulu.Eugene attended Iolani School, where he enjoyed playing the guitar, writing, and photography. Upon graduating in 1973, he attended classes while also working at several jobs until he found his calling in the insurance industry. He worked closely with his mentor, Tai Yau Chung, at West Coast Life and built an admirable client list. He was extremely dedicated to his clients and kept in personal contact with many of them.
He was never one to sit still and dabbled in other ventures such as publishing, event sponsorships and website design. He also discovered the world of Apple in the 1980s and became an active member of the Hawaii Macintosh Users Group (HMAUS). He helped to pioneer such events as the Mactoberfest and other member workshops.
Eugene was a long-time car enthusiast and belonged to the Mercedes-Benz Club of Honolulu. It was through contacts made there that he also became actively involved with Cars and Coffee, EuroSunday, the October Car Fest events and many other car-related activities held in Honolulu. He took quiet pride in his 1979 Triumph Spitfire and 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SL.
He also had a strong interest in learning about mediation and went on to volunteer at the Mediation Center of the Pacific in 2004. Eugene learned much and worked diligently to develop his mediation skills. To his surprise, he received accolades as Mediator of the Year on two separate occasions. He found it fulfilling to work with fellow mediators, staff as well as the clients who relied on the center for guidance.
Eugene was involved with other groups, such as the Kaneohe Jaycees, Hawaii Jaycees, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawaii and the Professional Photographers of Hawaii. He also loved his dogs – Ruby and Cupie Sanpun Cooking – and faithfully took them to puppy kindergarten, even in the rain, so that they would be well-behaved pets.
In his spare time, Eugene loved to learn, listen to J-Pop, tinker with his cars and read books by Stephen Hawking. He also appreciated native art and collected works from notable local artists during his travels throughout the world.
Eugene passed quietly on July 25, 2020, in Seattle while awaiting a heart transplant.
Eugene is survived by his significant other, Melanie Okazaki, and his siblings, Shirley (Hugh) Beemer, Sandra Benevides and Edward. He is also survived by Melanie's siblings, Lianne Whang, Wynn and Keane.
A Celebration of Life luncheon will be held on Saturday, July 23, 2022.
All of Eugene's friends, acquaintances, car club buddies
and clients are welcome to attend.
Please email Melanie at mmokazaki1@gmail.com for more information.
