The legacy of Tony Gill—a champion cyclist and visionary labor lawyer—will endure across Hawaii long after his passing on Monday, February 6th. His two-year battle with cancer ended at Palehua on conservation land he dedicated his life to restoring. Born on September 28, 1950, in Oakland, CA to future US Congressman and Lt. Governor Thomas Gill and public advocate Lois Gill, Tony was raised in Washington, D.C. and Honolulu. His family's belief in public education led Tony to attend Lincoln Elementary, Stevenson Middle, and Roosevelt High School, where he was Student Body President. He then graduated from UC Berkeley and Yale Law School.
An avid cyclist, Tony won Hawaii's first Dick Evans Memorial Road Race in 1983, and his love of cycling was inseparable from the land upon which he rode. In 2008, Tony fulfilled a lifelong desire to protect and restore the Hawaiian natural environment, when he and his family became stewards of preservation lands at Palehua.
Tony fought for justice in the workplace over his forty-year legal career. His law firm, Gill, Zukeran & Sgan, represents the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, the faculty union, and public and private sector unions. Outside of his law practice, Tony advanced principles of integrity and fairness in his leadership of the O`ahu County Democratic Party, where he served as Chair for three terms. Tony will be remembered for his brilliant mind, sense of humor, work ethic, and integrity.
Tony is survived by his wife, Ashley Maynard; his sons, Thomas Gill (Liza) and Michael Gill (Caitlin); two granddaughters, and a grandson; sister and brothers: Andrea, Eric, Ivan, Tim, Gary.
A public memorial is planned for August.
Information can be obtained at TAGmemorial@gmail.com.
Donations in his memory are invited to the
American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii Foundation.
