An "Army Brat", Leilani was born in Fort Riley, Kansas and spent much of her early years moving about the country, living in Kansas, Massachusets and North Carolina. Upon her father's retirement from the Army, she returned with her siblings to the family's native Hawaii, where she spent her junior and senior high school years, graduating from Millilani High School in 1978. In 1979, Leilani gave birth to her son, Keoni. After a few more years in the Islands, the young family decided to return to the mainland and together they lived in Colorado briefly before settling in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was in Tulsa that Leilani began to truly discover herself and her talents as she worked in the real estate and finance industry for many years before co-founding The Versatile Companies, a very successful real-estate, finance and insurance firm. Raising her son as a single-parent and running a highly successful business at the same time was something that Leilani thrived on and she enjoyed many successes an all facets of her life during those whirlwind years, developing many lifelong friendships and business alliances along the way. Perhaps her proudest achievement was seeing her son, Keoni graduate from High School in 1997, giving both of them considerable satisfaction in the knowledge that, together, they had "made it in the world". In addition to her son's High School graduation, other events made 1997 a significant turning point in Leilani's life. In May of that year, her brother, Bobby, passed away at the age of 37. She and Bobby were very close as children and into adulthood, and his passing was a devestating blow to her and the family. Taking time to reflect on the year's events and her life's achievements, she made the decision to leave the company she had built and return to the private sector. The Versatile Companies had enjoyed many successes under her leadership and she was confident that the company would continue to flourish. In July of 1997, she also met the man who would later become her husband. Paul was a "Navy Man", serving on submarines in Hawaii and the two of them began what started as a long-distance romance and would ultimately turn into the journey of a lifetime. It was also during this time that her son, Keoni, had decided to enlist in the Navy as well, and in 1999 she saw her son off to Basic Training and, ultimately, off to Japan for a four-year tour aboard ship. After three years, Paul returned to the mainland and he and Leilani decided it was time to start creating a life together. Leilani moved to Poulsbo, Washington in 2000 to join Paul, and they were married in May of 2001. Being an "Army Brat" herself, Leilani understood the quirks and foibles of being "married to the military", and settled in for what was sure to be a whirlwind for the forseeable future. She was not disappointed! In 2003, Keoni left the Navy and returned to the Mainland, once again reuniting mother and son, and now, her new husband. Later that year, the family moved to the tidewater area of Virginia and Paul returned to sea duty until his retirement from the service in 2007. Though the long absences of her husband had their difficulties, Leilani truly flourished in Virginia, embracing her newly-found status of "Navy Wife", and "Lady Of Leisure". More lifelong friendships developed and she was soon given her most treasured title of all: "Mermaid". A native Hawaiian, Leilani was always happiest and at her best when near the ocean. Her closest friends were quick to recognize this, and the endowment of the "Mermaid" title seemed perfectly logical. Together, Leilani and her friends were known collectively as "The Mermaids", with Leilani being unanimously referred to as the "Queen Mermaid". 2007 saw more life-changes for Leilani when Paul retired from the Navy in December of that year. After his retirement, Paul was offered a teaching position in Jacksonville, Florida, and in March of 2008, Leilani and Paul headed south. Keoni was enjoying his own successes as a defense contractor and decided to remain in Virginia, where he still resides today. Having become accustomed to long absences, Paul's return to the private sector was a welcome change. Over the next several years, Leilani and Paul were able to travel the country extensively, both for business and, more importantly, for pleasure, enjoying the freedom and togetherness that are often denied to military couples. Again being near the ocean, Leilani continued to enjoy her "Mermaid" status until her passing in December of 2013. Mother, Wife, Sister and Friend. Leilani touched many hearts, leaving a "Larger-than-Life" impression. Quick-witted and NEVER at a loss for words, one always knew exactly where they stood. Always there to lend a hand, a shoulder to cry on, willing to point out the obvious being avoided. Laughing to the point of tears, eager to travel and always embracing new challenges and adventures. Leilani began her latest adventure on December 6th, 2013 at the age of 53. "While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet her behind the veil." -John Taylor