In my biased opinion and love for my dad, Zacarias Paet is the main reason for this reunion to take place in July 2023. Dad decided to make a huge move in his life to make himself and his life better.
In 1946, Zacarias came to Hawaii to work for the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar (HC&S) Company. He came with hundreds of young Filipino men who were contracted to work for HC&S on the sugar plantation on Maui and they were called Sakadas.
In 1946, Zacarias came to Hawaii to work for the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar (HC&S) Company. He came with hundreds of young Filipino men who were contracted to work for HC&S on the sugar plantation on Maui and they were called Sakadas. He was a field worker for many years and later got promoted to working in the sugar mill in Pu’unene. Later he learned to drive a tractor to clear the sugar cane that dropped on the road to the mill. The harvested sugar cane would drop from the Tourna haulers that carried it to the mill. Dad eventually got promoted to drive heavy equipment tractors in the cane fields, clearing large boulders and digging the holes to plant the sugar cane stalks.
Dad met our mother, Cayetana Torricer, who got up early in the morning to prepare and sell food to the field workers. Every morning mom would go to the labor station with food to sell to the workers. This is how Zacarias and Cayetana met.
Arsinia Anderson
Bernard Paet
Clifford Paet
David Paet
Dad worked for 43 years and retired in 1987 as a Hop Tow Tractor Driver with HC&S. He enjoyed his retirement and occasionally met his friends at the old Kahului Shopping Center to play checkers, talk story, or just being with his friends to pass the morning. He would prepare, cook and have dinner ready when mom came home because she was still working. Dad would also pickup, feed and watch his grandchildren after preschool until their parents came after work to take them home.
Dad died of a heart attack at home while getting ready for church on November 8, 1992; he was 71 years old. An observation by the neighbor who was looking outside her window asked my mom why there was a crowd of young Filipino men dressed in white shirts, standing around outside her home the day dad died. My mom told her that she didn’t know and she didn’t see anyone. To this day, we wonder who were those men our neighbor saw.
Our dad did not have any immediate family living on Maui except for his uncle Leandro Paet, cousins Quirino & Pedro Paet, and lelo Tony Paet. Then the start of the Paet invasion began in 1966. My parents with lelo Leandro’s help sponsored to bring uncle Felipe Paet to come live on Maui. Two years later uncle’s family came; two years after that uncle Maximo came with cousin Soledad. Then uncle Teodorico Paet and his family followed, and the last to come to Maui was auntie Anning. From 1966 to 1973, Zacarias’ family grew from six to thirty five. This was the beginning of the Paet family clan that began to grow on Maui. Dad’s siblings lived with us for a year or more until they found their own place to live.
His legacy to his children is to take care of family, to work hard and become a better person, and to “take care da body!”
We are thankful for my dad, Zacarias Fontanilla Paet, and we are proud of him because he helped his brothers and sisters to find a better life, just like he did. His legacy to his children is to take care of family, to work hard and become a better person, and to “take care da body!” Thank you dad, we love you and may you rest in peace.
Zacarias Fontanilla Paet Gallery
