ASSOCIATION OF HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUBS
A RESOLUTION
NO. 2020 – 12
REMEMBERING AND HONORING THE LIFE OF JUNE LEINANI LESLIE MENDIOLA BORDEN, JUNE 23, 1930 – JUNE 2, 2020
WHEREAS, June Leinani Leslie was the eldest daughter born on June 23, 1930, to Herbert Moʻolaulani Leslie, Sr. and Ida Kauluwehiwehi Kaʻohiai Kaʻonohi; and
WHEREAS, June’s siblings were Herbert Moʻolaulani Leslie, Jr., Muriel Mapuana Leslie Kahoʻonei, and Gerald Kaʻonohi Leslie, Sr., and June was the last of her siblings to return home; and
WHEREAS, June attended the old Waikīkī School, which later switched over to Jefferson Elementary School when it became an English Standard School, and Aliʻiōlani Elementary School in Kaʻimukī; and
WHEREAS, June attended Robert Louis Stevenson Intermediate School and graduated from President Theodore Roosevelt High School with the class of 1948, and after high school she and her cousin Primrose Nahoʻolewa attended Heald Business College and continued working with their Uncle Dr. Alexander Kaʻohiai Kaʻonohi, the first Hawaiian Male Naturopathic Doctor, who encouraged them to become nurses and would send them to the Continental United States to further their nursing education; and
WHEREAS, June and her cousin attended Church College of Hawai‘i (which later became BYU Hawai‘i), the University of Hawai‘i, and then back to Lāʻie to graduate from Church College of Hawai‘i, and became elementary school teachers; and
WHEREAS, June began her teaching career out at Waiʻanae Elementary School, then moved closer to town and taught at Alvah A. Scott Elementary School in Aiea, and finally ended up at Pauoa Elementary School in Honolulu; and
WHEREAS, June taught physical education and ukulele to all her students at Pauoa Elementary School, where she was known to her students as Mrs. Borden, and everyone knew her; and
WHEREAS, June officially retired in 1992 but continued to work as a substitute teacher at Pauoa Elementary School and mentored the new teachers as they started their careers; and
WHEREAS, June was fortunate to teach not only her students, but their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a few great-great grandchildren of her original students, and continued to work until 2009, when a fall caused her to retire for good; and
WHEREAS, in 1950, June married Phillip Mendiola Jr. and together they had three children, Phillip “Froggy” Mendiola, III (Jody), Leslie Kaʻonohiokala Mendiola (deceased), and Gerald Keaninioklalani “Chucky” Mendiola (Daphane) (deceased); and
WHEREAS, in 1965 June married Edward Walter Borden Jr. and together they had June-Dale Leinani Borden (deceased), Russell-Dean A. Borden (Debbie), and she raised Renee A. Borden Fonoti (Afua) (deceased), Randy Borden (Patrice), and Robin Edwina Jones; and
WHEREAS, June and Edward Walter Borden adopted Stephanie Kaiʻulani Borden Fukunaga (Scott), and Kaʻonohi Walter Borden; and
WHEREAS, June had 30 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, June was truly a great and phenomenal woman, the foundation and matriarch of the Leslie-Kaʻonohi-Mendiola-Borden families following the passing of her mama Ida in 1998; and
WHEREAS, June Borden raised her ʻohana to be hard working servant leaders in their communities and at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and
WHEREAS, June Borden has belonged to Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club for 32 years, and her ʻohana have been for 20 years and are still members in good standing, all proud to be members and help out whenever they can; and
WHEREAS, June got the ʻohana involved with their Hawaiian Culture, whereby they could demonstrate coconut leaf weaving, lei making, and Hawaiian games, to help raise money for the Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club Scholarship Fund that a few of her grandchildren were recipients of; and
WHEREAS, June strongly encouraged her children and grandchildren to further their education and one of her proudest moments was to have her grandsons be active members of the University of Hawaii Warrior Football Team; and
WHEREAS, June was so proud to see her children and grandchildren get involved with the Aloha Festivals Celebration and The King Kamehameha Celebration, as members of the Royal Court for several years;
WHEREAS, some of June’s proudest moments were when her eldest son Phillip was the Pu Kani (Conch Shell Blower) for many years for the Aloha Festivals and King Kamehameha Celebrations, when June’s third son Gerald held the position of Mōʻī in the King Kamehameha Celebration Royal Court, and when she observed her grandchildren chosen to be Prince (Kamaliʻi Kāne – Noah Borden) and Princess (Kamaliʻi Wahine – Makana Borden) at different times; and
WHEREAS, June was very proud when her ʻohana was nominated by Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club to be one of the families to be nominated to the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs Convention to the Outstanding Family of the Year Award (Pualeilani Award) in 2013.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs at its 61st Annual Convention held online, in the malama of Makali‘i and the rising of ʻOlekūkolu, this 22nd day of November 2020, remembering and honoring the life of June Leinani Leslie Mediola Borden, June 23, 1930 – June 2, 2020; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a moment of silence be held to honor “Auntie” June Leinani Leslie Mendiola Borden; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that certifies copies of this resolution be sent to her son Phillip Mendiola III, son Russell-Dean Borden, daughter Stephanie Borden Fukunaga, son Kaonohi Borden, daughter Hokuliʻiliʻi Mendiola-Jensen, the Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club, as well as the Governor of the State of Hawai‘i, President of the State Senate, Speaker of the State House of Representatives, Chair of the State Senate subject matter committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the State House subject matter committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and all County Mayors.
The undersigned herby certifies that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted in the malama of Makaliʻi and the rising of ʻOlekūkolu on the 22nd day of November 2020, at the 61st Annual Convention of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs held online.
Hailama V.K.K. Farden, President