Tom Dinell's Obituary
Tom Dinell -- beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, educator, mentor, community leader, and longtime resident of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi -- died peacefully at home on December 9, 2025, at the age of 97, surrounded by family.
Born in New York City on March 8, 1928, to Monroe and Judith Dinell, Tom was a lifelong learner. He earned his undergraduate degree from Brown University in 1948 and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Michigan in 1950. In 1964, he received a fellowship to study at the Harvard University Graduate School of Public Administration. Tom carried this passion for learning throughout his life and generously shared it with all who knew him.
After returning from the Army, Tom began a career with PAS as a consultant to State and County governments across the country. In 1957, he accepted a position with the new state of Hawaii in setting their first administrative budget. Two years later his young family made the islands their permanent home. He went on to serve in the State Legislative Reference Bureau, becoming its Director in 1964. Years later, following the restoration of ʻIolani Palace, Tom delighted in showing visitors the basement office where he had once worked.
Tom then founded the Pacific Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of Hawaiʻi -- now the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) -- and served as department chair for more than 20 years. Even after stepping down, he continued teaching, ultimately becoming professor emeritus and conducting his final class at age 90. He also helped establish the Program on Conflict Resolution and the Distinguished Chair of Affordable Housing within the College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His took immense pride in how DURP students went on to serve in government, nonprofit, and private sectors across Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, Asia and throughout the nation, carrying forward his deep belief in ethical, community-centered planning grounded in social justice and compassion.
Among his many honors, Tom was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners in 2002 -- one of only fourteen in the state of Hawaiʻi -- recognizing his significant contributions to the planning profession and to society.
From 1988 to 1996, Tom served as Director of Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi, leading the organization with humility and a deep sense of mission. Under his leadership, Catholic Charities expanded its support for vulnerable families, kūpuna, immigrants, and individuals facing hardship. In 1995, he was tapped by Catholic Charities USA to convene a national committee that produced the influential position paper “Transforming the Welfare System”.
At age 88, Tom once again turned his vision toward the future, gathering a group of like-minded individuals to establish Trees for Honolulu’s Future, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding and protecting Oʻahu’s urban tree canopy. This work reflected the values that guided his life: care for community, responsibility to future generations, and hope expressed through action.
Tom will be remembered for his kindness, steady presence, and quiet ability to inspire others by example. He is preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Connie (Matheis) Dinell; his sister, Judy Nan (Dinell) Hacohen; and his granddaughters, Alexandra Dinell and Sarah Dinell.
He is survived by his wife, Kristi Dinell; his children Margaret Chester (Robert), Helen Neff (Bill), David Dinell (Nancy), Mark Dinell (Brenda), Peter Dinell (Kim), Jean Dinell (Randy Huybers), Malia Lehman (John), and Daniel Dinell (Lynnette); and by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends in Hawaiʻi and around the world.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Tom’s memory may be made to Trees for Honolulu’s Future (https://treesforhonolulu.org) or to a charity of one’s choice.
A celebration of Tom’s life will be held in early 2026.
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