Peter R. Avillanoza

Music was one of the joys of Peter Avillanoza’s life. He played a variety of musical instruments and loved to compose and sing Hawaiian songs. A strong supporter of the community, Avillanoza was a football and baseball coach and taught judo at the YMCA. A native of Honolulu, Avillanoza was a former police officer and firefighter in Honolulu. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in public administration. He was transferred to Oklahoma City from California to become the director of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity shortly before the bombing. Before the transfer, he worked in the HUD offices in San Francisco, Orange County, CA, and Hawaii. He also worked for the Department of Justice. He had 6 children and 14 grandchildren.