Kaukaha “K” Watanabe
Driven, Disciplined Dad
By Valerie Vinyard
To be honored as a Father of the Year is a pretty big deal.
This year, Kaukaha Watanabe, who goes by “K,” couldn’t be more grateful.
“It’s not just a big honor, it’s a big responsibility,” said Watanabe during a recent interview in his Midtown office. Watanabe is the founder and CEO of The Property Partners, which is brokered by eXp Realty.
Watanabe, a REALTOR® who has been in the industry since 2007, is the team lead for a group of licensed real estate agents serving the Tucson area. To date, his company has sold more than 4,000 homes, and dabbles in land and commercial development.
Watanabe and his wife, Kirsten, share three kids: 25-year-old Mercedes Robles-Darling; 21-year-old Joseph Kopono Robles-Shanley; and 7-year-old Jacob Watanabe.
Robles-Darling is currently earning her master’s degree at the University of Arizona, and Robles-Shanley has started a card-collecting business called The Card Cartel.
Their son, Jacob, was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 2, but made it through the treatments and now is a happy, healthy kindergartner. To remind him of what Jacob overcame, Watanabe wears a blue bracelet with the words “Jacob strong” and “# faith over fear” on it.
“The days I want to complain, I think of the people that have endured worse,” he said.
“He is the most disciplined and hard-working person I know,” Kirsten said. “He continues to raise the bar for himself and is proof that you can achieve anything if you have a plan and take action. I love how he leads by example and is passionate about mentoring others to help them achieve their goals.”
Watanabe also is known for his volunteerism.
“We have to take care of our community,” said the 44-year-old Watanabe, who was born in Hawaii. He moved to Tucson at age 22 after visiting his sister, who was stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
Since 2017, Watanabe has served on the board of The Foothills Club of Tucson. The 80-member organization was founded in 2007 by local business professionals who wanted to give back to their community and help local children’s charities. The club’s two major fundraisers have been its annual Valentine’s Love on the Rocks Affair and the spring golf tournament.
He also has been volunteering with Junior Achievement of Arizona since 2012. Each year, Watanabe teaches elementary students about entrepreneurship, which ties in nicely with the organization’s goal to educate K-12 children on topics to better prepare them for the economic future.
“K continues to give back to the community through his involvement and charitable giving to various nonprofits throughout Tucson,” Kirsten said. “After our son’s battle with cancer in 2020, prioritizing to help families who have a cancer or rare disease diagnosis has become our family’s mission.”
Tucson attorney Tim Medcoff nominated Watanabe for the honor.
“I cannot think of a more deserving father,” said Medcoff, managing partner of Farhang & Medcoff law firm. “K leads by example. He always puts family first. When you face a crisis, people fight or flight. K fought after he almost lost his youngest son.”
Medcoff cited examples of Watanabe’s generosity, including the times he bought gifts for other kids alone in the hospital during COVID and the fact that he regularly donates blood “to ensure those in need get blood transfusions when facing a crisis.”
“He gives his money to support numerous causes, and he encourages others to do the same,” Medcoff said.
Kirsten added that she loves how strong and fearless her husband is, describing him as “the backbone to our family. No matter what life throws our way, he is determined to find a solution.”
The 2025 Father’s Day Council Tucson’s Father of the Year Gala will be held May 31 at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. The event will raise funds for Type 1 diabetes research and endowment at the UA’s Steele Children’s Research Center.
Pictured above: Back − Kirsten, Kaukaha, Joseph Kapono Robles-Shanley. Front − Jacob Kaukaha Watanabe, Mercedes Robles-Darling. Photo by Chris Mooney
