William Francis "Bill" Quinn arrived in Hawai'i in 1947 to join a prestigious law firm, the first step in a rapid ascension that peaked a decade later when he was appointed the territorial governor who would usher Hawai'i into statehood and become its first elected governor.

He was also a pineapple company executive, a Jesuit scholar and community-theater actor. Usually affable, he had a tenor perfect for frequent public renditions of "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" and "Danny Boy."

Quinn, 87, died Monday night at his home at the Kahala Nui assisted living center, due to complications of pneumonia.

"He was governor at a very exciting time in the state," said Sam Aiona, chairman of the Hawai'i Republican Party.

While many recall his public life, his son Gregory, the only one of Quinn's seven children living on O'ahu, said he remembers his private side, particularly his dedication to family.

"His legacy is his children and the generous support he gave us," said Gregory Quinn. "He sacrificed his life for his kids. He worked and worked and worked to put his kids through school and college."

Of all of his accomplishments, Nancy Quinn, his wife of 64 years, said the one that meant the most to her was his safe return after earning four battle stars in World War II for combat action in the Solomon Islands, Saipan, Palau and Okinawa. "When he came back safe was the best part," she said.

Although health problems compromised his later years, Nancy said he was fine and alert into his final days, maintaining the friendly, jovial attitude he was known for. "The nurses flirted with him and he flirted right back," she said. "He lived a very full life."

THE LOGICAL CHOICE

Appointed territorial governor by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957, Quinn also won the 1959 special election for governor after statehood. Yesterday marked the 47th anniversary of his inauguration as the state's first elected governor.

Until Linda Lingle won the job in 2002, no other Republican had been elected governor.

Paying tribute to him in a statement yesterday, Lingle noted that Quinn had remained active in the community after his retirement and "continued to serve as an elder statesman who many looked to for guidance and mentorship."

State flags were lowered to half-staff and will remain so until his interment.

"The success of the Republican Party today was started by Republican Gov. Bill Quinn four decades ago," Aiona said.

Quinn immersed himself in local politics soon after arriving in Hawai'i, but in many interviews expressed surprise at his appointment to the top territorial position while still in his 30s.

However, many think the youthful and popular Quinn was the logical choice at a time of impending statehood, more moderate and less controversial than his predecessor, Samuel Wilder King, with a greater chance of winning election for the party once Hawai'i became a state.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, a Democrat, said in a press release that, "Governor Bill Quinn was a very friendly person who worked in a bipartisan fashion."

Another Democrat, U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, said he collaborated with Quinn on many programs. "If not for Bill Quinn, the East-West Center would be a memory of the past," he said.

"One can also see the results of Bill's unwavering support of the military in Hawai'i. His good relationship laid the foundation for all the governors who had succeeded him," Inouye added.

NEW TERRITORY, NEW LIFE

A New York native, Quinn grew up in Missouri and graduated from St. Louis University.

He entered Harvard Law School in 1940 and left to join the Navy in 1942 after the attack on Pearl Harbor, rising from ensign to lieutenant commander over four years.

Later, back at Harvard, he decided he would move to Hawai'i after earning his law degree.

In 1947, he, his wife and the first two of their seven children arrived in Honolulu, where he joined the law firm of Robertson, Castle and Anthony, becoming a partner a few years later.

"He was a great example of someone who wanted to start a new life in exciting territory," said historian John Whitehead, author of "Completing the Union."

"Within a few years, he became very popular in the Honolulu political community because he sort of had that old Hawaiian way of campaigning," he said.

VICTORY FROM DEFEAT

Not only was he out shaking hands and getting to know everyone, he entertained them, as well. "He would play the 'ukulele and was just enormously affable and really seemed to enjoy himself," Whitehead said.

In 1952, Quinn became the Republican precinct club president. Four years later, he made an unsuccessful bid for a state Senate seat — a defeat that worked to his advantage because it meant he was eligible to be appointed territorial governor.

Quinn impressed Interior Department officials during a visit to Washington, D.C., as a member of the Hawai'i Statehood Commission in 1956.

A year later, he was elected chairman of the 1957 territorial convention, and a few months later he was appointed governor.

Several momentous events besides Hawai'i's admission to statehood marked Quinn's tenure. He led the state through a 128-day sugar workers strike in 1958; a tsunami that devastated the Big Island in 1960; Hurricane Dot in 1959, and volcanic eruptions.

SEIZING THE REINS

Whitehead suggested that Quinn's role in the statewide sugar strike was his greatest contribution and the catalyst for his win in the special election following statehood.

When the managers and the unions could not reach an agreement, "Quinn just sort of seized the reins," Whitehead said. "He went on TV and said, 'We all have to get together and make Hawai'i a better place.'"

While previous territorial governors had been ineffective in handling labor disputes, Quinn was credited with bringing the sides to agreement, Whitehead said.

Quoted in Mary Kahulumana Richard's biography of Quinn, "No Ordinary Man," Henry Walker Jr,. chairman of the board of Amfac Inc., noted that the strike almost finished off the sugar industry. "Had Bill not stepped in at that moment, we might not have gotten ourselves a settlement. It was the last time a strike like that was ever to be called," he said.

He was noted for his compassion in aiding the victims of the 1960 tsunami and making sure state land was distributed to those whose property was damaged or lost.

Many believe Quinn went wrong in the poorly named "Second Mahele," a proposal to redistribute unused and undeveloped state lands at below-market cost to residents and farmers. The promise went unfulfilled and it is considered one of the stumbling blocks in his unsuccessful bid for re-election as governor.

Whitehead said Quinn believed another obstacle was his failure to quickly appoint his supporters into patronage positions.

He wanted to fill hundreds of appointed positions but his efforts were blocked by Democrats in the Senate, and by his lieutenant governor, who wanted to make half the appointments.

In his 1961 message to the Legislature, he warned Waikiki was rapidly becoming "Paradise Lost."

His lieutenant governor, Jimmy Kealoha, unsuccessfully ran against him in the 1962 Republican primary, a move that split the party and weakened the GOP ticket at a time when Democrats were unified behind the immensely popular John A. Burns.

After his defeat by Burns, Quinn returned to law, representing major corporations.

In 1965, he took a job as president of Dole Pineapple Co., then again returned to his law practice in 1972. He retired in his 70s from Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel.

He never returned to elected office, although he did make an attempt to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Spark Matsunaga in 1976.

'DANNY BOY'

Robert Midkiff, who co-chaired Quinn's 1962 gubernatorial campaign, called his friend a "warm, friendly Irish person. He was a wonderful guy."

Quinn was well-known for his tendency to break into song. During high school he performed regularly on a popular radio program. He took to the stage in college and quickly involved himself in community theater after moving to Hawai'i.

He also served as president of the Honolulu Symphony. When the symphony honored him at a fundraiser, part of the performance included accompanying Quinn as he sang "Danny Boy."

Quinn is survived by wife Nancy; sons Billy, Stephen, Timothy, Christopher and Gregory; daughters, Ann Cecily Affleck and Mary Kaiulani Quinn; sister Betty Riley; eight grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

A memorial service will be held Friday at Star of the Sea Church at 10 a.m., followed by a private inurnment at the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. There was no word last night on whether he will lie in state.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks contributions be made to Star of the Sea Church.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.