b'Waikoloas VisionaryRonald F. Boeddeker, 1938-2010The name Ron Boeddeker may not be as well known to resort guests as Bill Marriott, Conrad Hilton, or other titans of the leisure industry. But that is exactly how Ronald F. Boeddekerwouldhavewantedit.Hedidnotseekthe spotlight, spoke to the media infrequently, and preferred to remain low-key and behind the scenes. But Boeddeker saw something more. He took my mom Without Boeddekers vision, though, Waikoloa Resort(Kitty) to look at the property, Krukowski tells. Look at this may never have happened. My dad had a special gift, saysland, he said to her. Cant you see golf courses and hotels? My Cary Krukowski, Boeddekers daughter, who spent manymom looked around and said, Are you insane? All she could months as a youngster living with her family on the Bigsee was black lava and a beautiful ocean.Island while the resort was being developed. He was theNotonetobeeasilydissuaded,Boeddekerpersisted. kind of visionary that doesnt come along very often. HeEventually he found others who saw the same potential that he had no fear of failure, no boundaries to his vision. He wasdid in the 4,000 acres of land, and were willing to invest. Early always looking to create something extraordinary. investors included the Texas-based financiers the Bass broth-Boeddeker first laid eyes on what today is Waikoloaers, hotel developer Chris Hemmeter, and Johnny Bellinger, the Beach Resort in 1972. At the time, he headed up the reallongtime powerful head of First Hawaiian Bank. estate subsidiary of Boise Cascade, the timber products com- Hed run into all kinds of people who would say No, pany who had purchased the land from Parker Ranch in theKrukowski says. But he had a way of making people believe late 1960s. Boise Cascade had envisioned a large resort proj- in his vision.ect from the beginning, but by the early 1970s the companyFrom the day he first saw A-Bay, he was contemplating decided to get out of the real estate development businesshowthisenvironmentwouldlurepeoplefromaroundthe in Hawai`i. world, Kitty Boeddeker says. As he thought about this mas-BoeddekerwasgiventhetaskofliquidatingBoisesive project, it was very important to him to keep the beauty Cascades assets, which he did, while also forming his ownthat the ancient Hawaiians revered about the sacred land, but company, Transcontinental, to purchase and develop somealso add his own touch of luxury. of the land himself. At the time, from mauka to makaiOne of the things that makes Waikoloa so unique is the (mountains to sea), the land was not much more than vastresorts support for the local community and for the Hawaiian lava fields as far as the eye could see.culture.Themusic,dance,arts,andcraftsofHawai`iare 4 4'