Donnie Ho, eldest son of legendary entertainer Don Ho, was a quiet man who loved his family, loved the ocean and felt most comfortable working behind the scenes to help other people shine.

Ho, 57, died Saturday after a long illness.

"He was kind of to himself," said Ho's younger brother Dwight. "Being raised as the son of someone who was in the limelight, you tend to want to stay in the background."

In fact, Donnie Ho made an art of placing others in the spotlight. He spent most of his career as a light and sound technician for Don Ho Enterprises and the Magic of Polynesia.

"He worked with our father for most of his life and, as the oldest, he was always respected by all of us," Dwight Ho said.

Dwight Ho said he, Donnie and the rest of the Ho clan enjoyed a childhood of canoe paddling, fishing and other ocean activities.

He said his brother carried his love of the ocean with him through his adult years.

Donnie Ho, who lived in Kailua, is the second of Don Ho's children to pass since the singer's death on April 14, 2007.

Dayna Ho-Henry died less than a month after her father.

Donnie Ho is survived by his wife, Jamie; sons, Keawe and Keahi; sisters, Lei, Dondi, Dori, Hoku, Kea, and Kaimana Farris; and brothers, Dwight and Kealii.

A private service will be held tomorrow.