Jeanette Gomes' Obituary
On June 26, 1938, Jeanette Victoria Garcia was born at the Queen’s Sanitarium in Honolulu, on the island of O‘ahu. She was born to Carmela Helen Bonilla and Jesus Jesse Garcia. Jeannie grew up an only child and often spoke about how lonely it was even though she got everything she wanted. She attended Leilehua High School until the 9th grade and for some reason, that no one can tell, she switched in the middle of her high school experience to Hawaiian Mission Academy. It was fate really. There she met and began dating Clayton Nalua‘i. Jeanette skipped a grade and graduated with Clayton in 1955. Both went off to the big wide United States of America for college and eventually ended up in Glendale, California attending the Glendale Seventh-Day Adventist College. Jeanette and Clayton were married in 1957 and she was on her way to becoming a nurse when her first of five distractions came- Melodie Lynn Leinaala (1958), Michele Lenore Lehuanani (1960), Melinda Lee Lokelani (1961), Marla Lavern Leimomi (1964), and finally, Kristian Clayton Ralphael Kaleiahihi (1966). No longer pursuing a nursing career, with the love and support of her extended family, Jeannie pursued motherhood.
Jeannie began working in the business office at Castle Medical Center. She retired in 1986 and was remarried the same year to Leonard Gomes, acquiring two more children, Arlene and Leonard Jr. Living in upcountry Maui was a wonderful experience for Jeanette and she enjoyed every minute always having a house full of her children and grandchildren. In 1996, Leonard passed away. A very stressful time, Jeanette came to develop a serious medical condition, sending her to the hospital.
This condition stayed with Jeannie the rest of her days. She moved back to O‘ahu especially to be with her aging parents. Ending up in Waimanalo to live with Michele and Rod Seibel, her daughter and son-in-law. There she lived for the next 20 years.
Jeannie loved her church family, her Bible study group, and her close friends- Priscilla Chan, Grace Garner, and Dolly Tabura. She loved to sing and sang in a quartet with her cousin, Leanette Garcia, and Celia and Helene Waihe‘e. She loved collecting elephants. She loved dogs- Lady, Heidi, Taffy, and Sable- her fur babies over the years. Jeannie loved to shop. Her favorite store was Target although she would go to Rosses with Melodie and Macy’s every Christmas. She loved spending Saturdays with Marla, driving around the island, watching the ocean, and visiting people.
Most of all Jeannie loved her family. Her 5 children, 14 grandchildren, and her 25 great-grandchildren. We were her most prized possession. Her smile, her quiet, gentle spirit, and sense of humor will stay with us long after this day. Her Senior yearbook described her perfectly “…she wears her personality like a fragrant flower lei…engaging us with her sweet smile and melodious voice.” She went to sleep peacefully on Monday, February 9 with her family surrounding her.
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