The family of 81-year-old Abraham Akau confirm he died Saturday morning, when he was crossing Kamehameha Highway on an all-terrain vehicle.

The retired Kualoa Ranch employee collided with a car, traveling on the highway around 11:30 a.m. Saturday.  Emergency Medical Services personnel took him to Castle Medical Center, where he later died from his injures.

Akau's daughter, Kanani Akau told KITV4 her father's passion was riding horses.  The native of Waimea moved to Honolulu in 1953, when he married his wife.  That is the same year he started working at Kualoa Ranch, Kanani said.  When he retired, he took over as Senior Pastor at "His Highest Praise" Church in Kaa'awa.

Kanani Akau said "the Lord was the greatest thing in his life.  I don't think it's a sorry thing, because he goes to heaven.   I think more sorry, for us, is we got to go through this life," Kanani said.

Akau was also part of the first class of inductees in the Paniolo Hall of Fame, in 1999.  His daughter said after the honor "he never bragged about it, or anything, because it wasn't a big deal to him.  That's his joy to be a cowboy."

Kanani says her father had three biologicial children, and a number of hanai children.