Having spent much of his lifetime capturing the essence of Kaua‘i, photographer and educator David Boynton will be remembered by family and friends as one of the many island treasures he sought so passionately to reveal.
Boynton died Saturday after falling while hiking along a precipitous cliff trail to one of his most cherished spots on the Na Pali coastline.
Boynton, 61, was well-known on the island for sharing his love of what he once cited as an “ethereal” beauty, which he photographed in the form of pristine beaches, rugged cliffs and verdant ridges.
Boynton’s most recent book, “Na Pali: Images of Kauai‘s Northwest Shore,” was published in October.
An avid surfer, conservationist and teacher, family members said he was always interested in wildlife.
Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Boynton graduated with a marine biology degree from the University of California-Santa Barbara.
A teacher for 36 years, colleagues said he was an inspiration to his students at the Koke‘e Discovery Center and as an environmental education resource teacher for Kaua‘i public schools.
He also loved to share his knowledge of wildlife with his relatives, which was one of his most beloved traits, sister Lee Hoxie said.
“He was such a funny duck,” Hoxie said. “Besides the knowledge of Koke‘e, the environment and birds, he had this willingness to share.
“When we would go hiking with our kids, he would speed ahead on the trail hide and then jump out and scare everybody to death. Those are the things that made him a cherished uncle.”
Kaua‘i Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada, who worked with Boynton at the Ele‘ele Elementary School, said Boynton always helped train new teachers and will remain “synonymous” with all that became of the successful Koke‘e Discovery Center.
Hamada said he finds solace in the legacy Boynton leaves behind.
“In his passing we can take comfort in the fact that part of him will continue to live in the lives of the students he instructed,” Hamada said. “I think the greatest gift he gave us was to carry on his ideals and principles. The world cannot but be a better place because of him.”
A memorial service in honor of Boynton will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 25 at Koke‘e State Park.
