Juan “Johnny” Visoria Trinidad – The Youngest Sakada

Juan “Johnny” Trinidad was born to Leoncio Rodrigues Trinidad and Lucia Visoria on Feb. 8, 1928 in Ilocos Sur, Philippines. He was the oldest of eight children.

He was only 18 years old when he was recruited by the Hawaii Sugar Plantation Association, where his compadres averaged 10 years older than him. He boarded the USS Maunawili, on April 3, 1946, to arrive in Hawaii in October. Thus, he became known as the “Youngest Sakada.”

Juan worked for California Packing Company (CPC) and Del Monte Corporation for a total of 51 years, starting off as a pineapple laborer, and then a truck and harvester driver, a luna and lastly, as a welder in the Kualapuu Shop. He is best known for his many years of advocacy for labor rights for pineapple workers, and as a representative of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), on Molokai. He also presided as president of the Molokai Filipino Community Council in 1986.

He is survived by his wife, Salvacion “Sally” Marigza Trinidad, and children Marie Claire, John Benedict, Esther Grace, Lydia, Paul Gregory, and Peter. He has five grandchildren, Jakob, Liana, Victoria, Holly and Nathan, and five great grandchildren, Ben and Melody, Ethan, Caleb, and Lily.

Services for Juan Trinidad will be held on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at St. Damien Catholic Church in Kaunakakai. Community visitation starts at 8:30. A prayer service will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.