Yolanda “Nani” Kaiaokamalie Snell

December 26, 1946 — November 10, 2020

Yolanda “Nani” Kaiaokamalie Snell of St. George Utah went to be with the Lord and her parents on Nov. 10 with her beloved husband Alan by her side, due to complications with dementia.

Born Yolanda Emmalani Kaiaokamalie, known as “Nani”, to her parents Edward Kalehua Kaiaokamalie and Eva Papa’ikaniau Scholtz on December 26, 1946 in Makawao, HI on her beloved island of Maui. She was the youngest of four siblings, raised in the small village of Ulapalakua, where her father was a rancher and mother a hardworking stay at home mom.

In her teenage years, her family moved to the Bay Area of California where she attended and graduated from San Lorenzo High School. Being born into an exceptionally talented family, she was a professional hula dancer for most of her life, performing alongside her siblings and fellow dancers in her father’s Polynesian entertainment group “Eddie and His Islanders.” They traveled all over the Bay Area and performed for many prestigious events, from simple family gatherings, to corporate events, to performing for celebrities. She later became a dancer for the Aloha Airlines Entertainment Team and had the opportunity to travel to such places as New York City and Bermuda. Hula dancing was her passion as she loved sharing her talents and teaching others hula dancing, having been raised with a deep love and pride for her native Hawaiian culture.

She married her husband Alan Snell of St. George May 20, 2011; they had their marriage solemnized in the St. George LDS Temple on April 25, 2017. She was a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and loved practicing her faith, attending the temple and attending church activities regularly alongside her beloved husband.

She is preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, Alan Snell, St George;  her sons Tyrone Hardman, Fremont, Calif., and Jonathan (Joy) Thomas, Mesquite, Nevada; her siblings, Maile (Boyd) Mossman, Edward (Nolini)  Kaiaokamalie Jr., Matthew Kaiaokamalie; and her two grandchildren Amelia Thomas (4) and Kahealani Thomas (8 months); her mother-in-law  Joan N. Snell (Jim, d), Brothers-in-law: Brian (Brenda), Kim (Susan), Keven (Diane) and sister-in-law Lori (Steve); along with six step children and 29 grandchildren.

The family would like to thank Dr. Karen Radley, Alliance Home Health and Hospice and Serenity Funeral Home of St. George.

There will be a viewing/visitation at Serenity Funeral Home on Monday at 9:30 a.m., followed by a graveside service and internment at Tonaquint cemetery at 11:00 a.m.

 Family and friends are invited to share tributes online at SerenityStG.com. Arrangements and memorial tree planting by Serenity Funeral Home of Southern Utah, 435-986-9100.

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