“One life, right? Don’t blow it. Mahalo.” David Bell for Kona Brewing
I learned over the weekend that the world lost a great Light as it was shared that local actor, David Hekili Kenui Bell, who recently made his big screen debut in Disney’s Live Action Lilo and Stitch, has passed away.

I heard David’s voice before I ever met him. One-half of the iconic Kona Brew Bruddahs, David’s also the voice at Kona Airport. Such a steady, solid voice that commanded your attention in a gentle way, it’s hard not to hear that voice and have it stand out.
Waiākea started working with him a few years back to do VOs and commercials and last year, while back home in Hilo for one of our events was the first time we met in person. When he walked in our warehouse, it felt like I knew him my whole life and we just hit it off talking stories.
Everything About David was Presence.
A mountain of a man with a soul so full of aloha it flowed all around.
When you were in the company of David, you couldn’t help but feel like he was fully there with you. Something that I think is a true gift in this era of screens of all sizes, deadlines at all times, and noise on all channels.
After we met in person, we connected on social media and frequently interact in response to each other stories. Sharing a love for film, I was just so stoked for him and his experience with a Disney film.
If you were to have met him, I feel safe saying that you couldn’t help but be happy that such a truly down to earth Bradah was in that position. Both eloquent and funny, he had a way of sharing that experience that made you feel included, which was amazing.
He shared his excitement, he shared his not knowing what might come next, and he shared reflections in real time to whatever questions were asked.
Like I said - Presence. Truly of and within each moment.
Over the past year, we also talked about our passion for Hawai‘i Athletics. As a local person from the islands, it’s been a great kuleana and honor to work with Hawai‘i Athletics and help create opportunities for student athletes through our official partnership. David had genuine aloha for the work we were doing and his investment in the iconic run of the Wahine programs was really cool and the last time I got to physically be in David’s presence in person was at one of the UH games…
I was fortunate to talk to him frequently in the past few months as we planned on working together very soon with a project date booked for July 11th… A date that will still come on the calendar but won’t be the same without him because he was key to the concept we hoped to bring to Life.
I’m grateful for the time I got to share with David, his aloha, but a part of me can’t help but feel that our time was cut short, time to continue growing as friends and the work we were about to embark on.
The best part of getting to know David was that while work may have brought us together, he was so full of life and interests, it felt like you could just talk about anything with him. I will keep saying it, his ability to be present and share his presence, just embodied aloha and felt so natural to interact with.
I’m pretty serious person by default, but with David, perhaps because it felt like his Inner Child was still soul lit, I could let my Inner Child joke around. I called him one day in April to ask a question and turns out he was in Vegas. When I found out he was there in the call, I joked “You not going to Wrestlemania are you?”
And he was!
I had also just connected with WWE Hall of Famer, The Wiseman - Paul Heyman, and had to share that with David, who immediately replied:
“Ladies and gentlemen…”
I won’t wax poetic on my appreciation for the art form of the squared circle, you can look through the archive here for that, but I was just so stoked for him. That he was there and getting a chance to talk with someone who could appreciate the nuances of the professional wrestling.
It’s true when they say to cherish your adult friend who appreciates pro wrestling and have been in it for a minute. There are many but there aren’t you know?
The man just had a way of being his authentic self, connecting with anyone, and holding space that allowed whoever got the chance to share a moment with him to feel that energy and dive deeper within that place within themselves. In the short time since I’ve learned of his passing, the conversations I’ve had with many others who had the chance to connect with him have all been the same:
“Such a terrible loss.”
“I feel gutted.”
“He was so full of life and aloha.”
“He just reached out to me the other day to check-in.”
“He was always fun to talk with.”
I feel for his loved ones and ‘ohana, people who know David longer and deeper than I, because I’ve seen a lot of death in my Life and I’ve not forgotten any of them. They’re all sad in their own way, but this one is just truly tragic.
Much mahalo, David.
Thank you for the memories and the reminder to make the most of this one Life. Thank you soul much for being the presence that you were and bringing so much joy to this world.
May the stage above and beyond this plane of existence be even more amazing.
A hui hou.