Vaiola Toliseli Taimi was born in Vaini, Tongatapu, on January 4, 1959, and passed away on January 30, 2025, after a prolonged illness with lung cancer.

Her funeral services were held on February 14, 2025, from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Affordable Burial & Cremation Service Inc. in Long Beach, California. The burial ceremony took place at Forest Lawn Cypress in Cypress, California.

Vaiola was the eldest of four sisters and had four brothers. Her siblings remembered her as responsible and dedicated in everything she did. She took every task seriously.

She was a quiet person but also firm in her decisions. She was raised Seventh-day Adventist, attended Beulah High School, and was an active member of the Vaini SDA Church. Faith was central to her life.

She married Paula, and they had one son, Steven. They later moved to the United States, where they raised their son in California. They were longtime members of Gardena SDA Church, where Vaiola served as a clerk, deaconess, and food bank volunteer. She had a passion for gardening and cared for the church’s plants.

Vaiola also helped care for her nieces and nephews, particularly Lisia’s children, who lived with her for a time. One of her closest friends, Oli Taione, was like a sister to her. Vaiola supported Oli’s children in every way she could, always celebrating their milestones with a warm smile.

She was skilled in making kafa (Tongan waistbands) and quilting. She and her aunt Tupou made fuatanga (a form of ngatu) in America. After Paula passed away, her brothers bought her a quilting machine, and she made mono mono and quilts with precision.

Vaiola assisted in Paula’s tree service business and shared seasonal fruits. Her son, Steven, later married Keisha, and they had Kesomi, Vaiola’s only grandson.

She and Paula later joined Hawthorne SDA Church, where they established and ran the church’s food bank and helped maintain the church grounds. In her final two years, she served as the church clerk.

She was involved with the Beulah Alumni Association and To’u Faka’ofo’ofa, handling uniform orders and event preparations.

During visits in her last few weeks, Vaiola had one request she always repeated: "Please love my grandson, Kesomi."

John 14:1-3: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

Vaiola lived a life of faith and service, always dedicated to her family and community. Though she is gone, her memory remains with those who knew and loved her.