A woman who was the face of the Jean P Haydon Museum and Arts Council for many years, Mrs Leala Eliasara Pili passed away Saturday at the LBJ Hospital. She was 82.
Mrs Pili was Director of the Jean P Haydon Museum for more than 20 years and was one of the key people who worked to bring the Pacific Arts Festival, to American Samoa in 2008.
She also left her mark in the Arts Council programs, such as the Flag Day Performing Arts Festival, Christmas Programs and the Summer Cultural Maintenance Program.
Leala was a hard working woman with a determination and will to make things happen.
As Director of the Museum she was responsible for decorating the pavilion for the Arts Council Program for Flag Day, a task she often got her Fagatogo CCCAS church members to help with.
Matini Purcell, the longest serving museum staffer, said Leala was there when he first joined the museum in 1986.
She was appointed Director during the Tauese Togiola Administration and served continuously in that position until the Lolo Lemanu government took office in 2013.
Purcell said Mrs Pili was a kind and motherly boss who treated them like her children.
And whatever task she asked of her staff, everyone rallied behind her because she was a very good director.
He said her qualities as a leader are very hard to forget…she was a special lady.
In the Fagatogo CCCAs church,. Mrs Pili was one of the matriarchs of the church just like she was one of the matriarchs of Fagatogo village.
She was secretary of their congregation and was the voice of the church. She was also very active in village affairs where she as regarded as one of the elders. One of her favourites activities was the womens cricket team.
IN her retirement years, Mrs Pili ;s daily routine as taking her grandchildren and great grandchildren to school and taking care of therm while their parents workers. One of her granddaughtgers now works at the Museum. Leala is survived by three children m and many grandchildren nd great grandchildren. Our condolences tro her family for their loss.
