William (Wink) Allen Ames
KAPA’AU, HI – William (Wink) Allen Ames, 87, of Kapa’au, HI, died peacefully of natural causes on November 15, 2020 surrounded by family at his home.
Wink was born, August 29, 1933 to William and Jean (Allen) Ames in San Francisco, CA. After graduating from Acalanes High School in 1951, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from University of California Berkeley in 1956.
After graduation, Wink joined the United States Air Force and served as a fighter pilot. Captain Ames fulfilled his service obligation after finishing his active duty and two years of reserve duty in 1962.
Wink was a second generation surety bond professional, following in his father’s footsteps. He helped establish offices for a national insurance brokerage firm in Nevada and Arizona before opening his own agency in 1983. Soon thereafter Wink and Steve Minard founded Minard Ames Insurance Group (now known as Insurica - Southwest).
Wink was part of the construction business for more than 50 years. Among his contributions to the industry, his decades of teaching professionals and students about the financial aspects of the construction business and helping many start their own construction companies. Wink was a member of the Hall of Fame of the Del E. Webb School of Construction, which is part of th School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, one of ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. Along with his children, Wink endowed the school’s Ames Family Scholarship program. He was the founder and primary supporter of the $1.5 million Beaver-Ames Chair in Heavy Construction at ASU, which established a faculty position to bolster the construction school’s teaching of heavy civil construction and engineering. He also was a regular guest lecturer in construction classes as ASU. In 2007, Ames was awarded the ASU’s Alumni Appreciation Award.
He is a member of the Arizona Minority Contractors Association Hall of Fame, and in 2007 won the Arizona Construction Pioneer of the Year award from the Construction Financial Management Association. In 2013, he was commended for outstanding community service by the Arizona Governor’s Office and was also the recent recipient of the Arizona Builders’ Alliance (ABA) prestigious “S.I.R. Award” for his exemplification of the qualities of Skill, Integrity and Responsibility made him the unanimous choice for AGC’s Distinguished Service Award. Wink was inducted into the National Academy of Construction in 2013.
In his spare time, Wink enjoyed fly fishing, gardening, traveling with his family, snow skiing, reading, history and he loved studying WWII history.
At the age of 80, Wink retired and moved to Hawaii where he bought an abandoned Macadamia orchard. After building a home and rescuing the orchard from the Hawaiian jungle, he expanded his love for gardening to farm his orchard of macadamia trees, pineapples, papaya, bananas, dragon fruit, lemons, lime, avacados.
Wink is survived by his spouse Duane Charlton, one brother, Syd (Flower) Ames, Sacramento, CA, two daughters, Jessica Ames, South Lake Tahoe, CA; Leslie Ames (Brett Alexander) South Lake Tahoe, CA; and the mother of his children Laurel Ames, South Lake Tahoe, CA. Wink was preceded in death by his parents. A private service was held on his farm in Kapa'au, HI. The family suggests memorials be made to the Ames Family Scholorship in care of Mike Remedi, Arizona State University, michael.remedi@asu.edu.