Ask a journalist to name the best part of their job and there’s a good chance they will say it is the people they meet.

Sure, we get a jolt out of interviewing celebrities, world-class athletes and politicians, but the most memorable folks we cover are often everyday citizens who do extraordinary things. These are people who do not seek the limelight or push their way to the front to take credit. Somewhere along the line, one of us spots them in action or receives a tip. “You just have to do a story!”

If meeting community members like this is the best part of the job, saying goodbye is one of the hardest. Maui recently lost three stalwarts who humbly made things better for this island and its people: arborist and educator Ernie Rezents, longtime baseball scorekeeper and volunteer groundskeeper Warren Shimabukuro and Makawao Postmaster Celine Balthazar-Suda.

Undoubtedly, there are other island contributors who are being left out. For that, we sincerely apologize to their families and friends. These three just happen to be folks we came to know and admire during the course of our job.

Ernie was small in stature, but continues to throw a giant shadow thanks to all the trees he planted and advocated for. Always smiling, ever quick with a kind word, he was a positive force of nature. Ernie taught at University of Hawaii Maui College for many years and played a key role in the development of its agriculture program back when it was known as MCC.

As a gifted educator and public speaker, Ernie had a knack for guiding people in ways that both stuck and made sense. For instance, he said fertilizing after harvest season was a good way to say “thank you” to a tree for the bounty it provided. What a great reminder. His pet peeve were holes dug too big when transplanting a tree.

Warren was as free with his bright smile as Ernie, but far more reserved. He let perfection on the playing field do a lot of his talking. We can still see him chalking lines and grooming the diamond at Iron Maehara Stadium while preparing it for the next game. Kids have no idea how much work goes into making their fun. Warren logged thousands of hours ensuring the stadium named for his good friend was one of the finest in the state.

Postmaster Celine was the third generation of her family to lead the Makawao Post Office. Following in the community-minded footsteps of grandmother Virginia Freitas and father Bill Balthazar, she ran Makawao Post Office with kindness and a sense of duty to her town that extended to her staff. In 2005, she was named Hawaii’s Postmaster of the Year.

It has been an honor to help share the stories of these outstanding citizens. Through their aloha and sacrifice, they helped make Maui no ka oi.