ASSOCIATION OF HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUBS
A RESOLUTION
No. 2019 -19
HONORING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF DOROTHY BLANCHE LEILANI (HEWETT) IRVINE A.K.A. “TEDDY”
WHEREAS, Dorothy Blanche Leilani (Hewett) Irvine was born on December 14, 1930, at Kalihi Kai in Honolulu, and was the second child of Ella Margaret Ah You and John Hope Hewett, Sr., and was known to her closest friends and family members as “Teddy;” and
WHEREAS, she began her formal education in kindergarten at a pre-school called Jane S. Parker School, continued her formal education at Kalihi Kai Elementary School, Kalākaua Intermediate School, and then attended Wallace Rider Farrington High School where she graduated with the class of 1948; and
WHEREAS, while a student at Farrington High School she was a member of the swim team, her favorite pastime was going with friends to swim at the War Memorial Olympic Size Pool called Waikīkī Natatorium; and
WHEREAS, one year, Leilani had the opportunity to try-out for the United States Olympic Women’s Swim Team, and while in high school she had a close friend May Lau and they remained lifelong friends; and
WHEREAS, Leilani met Arthur Irvine, Sr., the love of her life, and became a military wife who accompanied her husband to Ingrades, France in Europe, and across the continent of the United States, to Fort Bliss in Texas and to Fort Sill in Oklahoma; and
WHEREAS, Leilani was a member of the NCO Wives’ Club in Ingrades, France and served as their club President for one year; and
WHEREAS, Leilani reconnected with her classmates from high school while she and Art were stationed in France, and formed lifelong friendships and embraced her extended family with Richmond and Maile Puahala and their family, Leilani met up with Henry and Anna Salis another friend, she knew from high school days, and finally she met with another high school friend, May Lau and her husband Herbert (Buddy) Lau; and
WHEREAS, Leilani and Arthur Irvine, Sr. had five children: Wendell Keith Costa, Stephanie Lynn I. Dayton, Sandra Lee N. Irvine, Lanette L. Pascua, Ronette K. Ohia, and a hānai daughter, Maylene Kaaikaula; and
WHEREAS, Leilani and Arthur were blessed with 13 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Leilani, upon returning to Hawai‘i worked for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) as a warehouse employee, then later as a salesperson, customer service clerk, and branch manager at the MAC Terminal and Military Clothing Store on Hickam Air Force Base; and
WHEREAS, Leilani retired from employment at AAFES in 1995, after 30 years; and
WHEREAS, Leilani was an active member of the Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club for over 25 years and was elected to the board of directors for several terms; and
WHEREAS, Leilani was the outstanding member of the Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club in 2003 and won the Mitchell Pei Award that year; and
WHEREAS, Leilani was also nominated for the Ke Po‘okela o Kūhiō Award for Outstanding Hawaiian Civic Club Member for the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs; and
WHEREAS, Leilani found joy in her yearly trips to Las Vegas with her sister and brothers and their spouses; and
WHEREAS, after her brother passed away, Leilani then looked forward to Las Vegas with the girls, her sister Haunani and her sister in-law Flo, and they would have so much fun on their trips that as soon as they got back they would be planning for the next trip; and
WHEREAS, Leilani would look forward to visiting with her grandsons in Washington State almost every year since they moved there in 1992, she would stay for several months over the summer and Christmas holiday season, and her grandchildren made sure she was comfortable whenever she visited; and
WHEREAS, Leilani had the best home nurse care in her son-in-law Wayne who was so patient and had great bedside manner and his priority was to take care of Leilani; and
WHEREAS, Leilani mentioned to Wayne that he had missed his calling as the family members wanted to send him to nurse’s aide school because he took such great care of Leilani; and
WHEREAS, Leilani was affectionately known as “Dottie” to the men in her life including her dad and brothers, “Dot” to her co-workers, “Leilani” to mom and family members, and “Teddy” to most of all her high school friends; and
WHEREAS, Leilani was a kind and gentle woman with lots of love and aloha for all her family and friends, and will always be in the hearts of her family; and
WHEREAS, Leilani was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Irvine, Sr.; her son, Arthur Irvine, Jr.; her parents, John Hope Hewlett, Sr. and Ella Margret (Ah You) Hewlett; three brothers, John Hewlett, Jr., Dickie (John) Hewlett, and Ronald Hewlett; and two sisters, Lorraine (Darling) Silva (Hewlett) and Barbara Gephart (Hewlett); and
WHEREAS, Leilani passed away on July 27, 2019.
NOW THERFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs at its 60th Annual Convention at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Lahaina, Maui, in the malama of Welehu and the rising of Lā‘au Pau, on this 16th day of November 2019, honoring the life and memory of Dorothy Blanche Leilani (Hewett) Irvine a.k.a. “Teddy;” and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a moment of silence be held in honor of Leilani; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that certified copies of this resolution be transmitted to her children and 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 Representatives, Chair of the State Senate subject matter committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the State House of Representatives subject matter committee on Hawaiian Affairs, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and all county mayors.
The undersigned hereby certifies that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted in the malama of Welehu and the rising of Lāʻau Pau on the 16th day of November 2019, at the 60th Annual Convention of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs in Lahaina, Maui.
Hailama V. K. K. Farden, President
