William “Buffalo Bill” Wittman sadly left us on December 12, 2023 at Wailuku, Maui. He was 73 years old. “Buffalo”, as many called him, was born in 1950, and raised near the sea in the film production enclave of Culver City, CA, where he was known especially for the 1950 Olds Coupe race car he built, and his uncanny early mastery of the spherical arts and angles of bowling and billiards. Immigrating to Hawaii in 1974, Buffalo created homesteads in Huelo and Kaupo, the wild edges of Maui where the ancient eclipses the modern. Despite various gainful stints as a carpenter, farmer and dealmaker, he is primarily remembered as a storyteller and oral historian, gifting us his unique interwoven tales of fact, fiction, and everything in between: pure humor of reversal; playful puns and subtle jabs; signs, signals and connections; simplifying the complex and complexifying the simple, all deeply extending the mythos of contemporary times. (Smoke a beer with the Buffalo, and you might even be treated to one of his signature milk-cover readings). Buffalo enjoyed his final years by the sea in Ma'alaea, still generating a plan-a-minute, and continuing to work on his inventions and recollections, a synchronized reality deeper than truth as we know it, hopefully to be published posthumously by his collaborator Matina Gunzinger. (Notes for the next life perhaps…)
Buffalo is survived by his brother, Brian Wittman of Huelo, six nieces and nephews (plus numerous grands and great-grands), and an uncountable assortment of dear friends from all walks of life, here on Maui and far beyond. A Memorial Celebration with Food, Live Music, and Hula will be held at Pukalani Community Center on Friday, February 23, 2024, from 6 to 9 PM. Please help us plan for enough food –RSVP to Matina via text with how many people you are bringing, to (818) 519-5053. We invite everyone to bring an armful of flowers from their yard to make an informal display on site. BYOB
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rq3UoqWer6NjsLC5jqiZoqyllr%2BqsdJoaWlqZGR9c3vWoqOloZGierGt1KVksKGkqbqiuo4%3D