Rhonda's Story
March 5, 1959 - July 14, 2022
Rhonda Dee Freedman was a woman who radiated love, kindness, and the spirit of aloha. A local girl, born and raised in Kona, Big Island, she was deeply connected to her Hawaiian heritage. Rhonda came from the “Kahikina bloodline,” with ties to prominent Hawaiian families, and she embraced her culture wholeheartedly. She was the Kona Hukilau's 1st original hula dancer at their Lau's which then led her to dancing under Uncle Liko Johnston, Tyrone Young as professional hula competed in local pageants, including the Miss Kona Coffee, Mrs. Hawaii pageant, and was crowned Miss Billfish in the 1970s.
Family was the center of Rhonda’s world. She and her husband, Steve, shared 41 years together, building a family business, while raising their four children: Sam, Max, Alanah, and Lou. Rhonda was a dedicated mother, always present for her children’s milestones, offering guidance with love and faith. Her caring spirit extended to the broader community, as she embraced the hanai tradition, treating the children of friends and relatives as her own.
Her Christian faith shaped her life, and she instilled those values in her family, raising her children with a strong foundation of love, compassion, and integrity. Rhonda’s faith was not only personal but a guiding principle in the way she lived, always putting others before herself.
Rhonda’s life was one of quiet strength, unwavering love, and a deep dedication to her family, faith, and culture which she keep alive as she raised her children.
The Accident
A Tragic Loss and the Fight for Justice
On the night of July 14, 2022, Rhonda Freedman’s life was taken in a head-on collision caused by a 19-year-old drunk driver. At the time, he was driving with a suspended license and a 17-year-old female passenger. After his passenger rejected his advances, he threatened to swerve into oncoming traffic and then crossed the double yellow lines, hitting Rhonda’s car head-on. Despite being rushed to Kona Community Hospital, which is not equipped with a trauma center, Rhonda passed away just over an hour later.
This wasn't his first offense. A year and five days after Rhonda’s death, on July 19, 2023, he was arrested again for an unrelated DUI while out on bail. On September 30, 2023, police pulled him over once more—this time with an unconscious female passenger suffering from a heroin overdose. He was again driving with a suspended license.
Despite these repeated offenses, the prosecutor struck a plea deal that could result in only a 14-month sentence. Rhonda’s family had no role in the decision and was excluded from discussions—a process that, while legal in Hawaii, feels deeply unjust. Now, Rhonda, who no longer has a voice, is left without proper justice, and her family remains powerless to change the outcome. This tragic situation highlights the urgent need for legal reform to ensure families like Rhonda’s have a say in sentencing decisions.
Rhonda Freedman’s legacy of love and faith lives on through her family and community, but the fight for justice continues. Her tragic death serves as a reminder of the dangers of drunk driving and the flaws in the legal system. As we honor her memory, we also call for change—to ensure that no other family suffers in silence and that those responsible for such senseless losses are held fully accountable.
Rhonda's last text messages to her husband of 41 years, Steve.
A prayer that Rhonda sent her mother, brother and sisters.
August 9, 2020
Heavenly Father,
For all of those praying for their loved ones...
I ask that you give them peace at this moment.
I pray Lord that you would bring others alongside them to pray for their
Loved ones in this season of wandering.
God, I ask that you would do something in our Loved ones life's to get their Attention,
Not too harsh, but Boldly enough they notice it’s you.
Lord, help this Loved one to see their deep need for you
and the life you have waiting for them that can only be found in you.
In Jesus' Mighty Name..Amen.🙏👑🙏👑