Luana Vernetta Philipoom

On June 28th, 2024, around 4:45 am, our “mum”, grandmother, sister and aunty, returned home to be with her heavenly family. Mum was born January 19th, 1951 to Louis and Aso Philipoom in Auckland, New Zealand. Luana was the oldest of 6 children. Around her freshman year, she and her family migrated to Salt Lake City, Utah to be near the headquarters of their faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Mum was a proud member of the Church and worked in various callings her entire life. Mum and her family eventually found a home in the Holladay area where she attended Olympus High School. She then attended BYU where she graduated with a Bachelor’s in English. After attending BYU, mum eventually found her way to Laie, Hawaii to follow her passion: dancing and her Polynesian heritage. Mum performed as a dancer at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). She continued her dancing after the PCC by joining a polynesian performing group that took her all over the US and Canada. During her time performing between 1980 and 1983, she gave birth to 3 “little fatsos”. After her youngest was born, mum ended her time on the road with her group and headed to Salt Lake to be near family to take on being a single mother of 3. Upon her return to Utah, mum eventually found a home with O.C. Tanner as an administrative assistant. She spent the next 35 years at O.C. Tanner until she retired with innumerable memories and life long friends. While working at O.C. Tanner, Mum joined groups like The Utah Polynesian Choir and also Ngati Hiona. Mum never stopped dancing (even after retirement) As well as passing on her talents and knowledge to her kids, grandkids and other family - blood, adopted, and any in between. Mum was eventually diagnosed with Renal Carcinoma Cancer in 2019. While the cancer treatment slowed the growth, it also caused mum to become a type 1 diabetic. She battled courageously for 5 years against tremendous odds. She recently decided that she was at peace with her fight and ready to rest while waiting for her family on the other side of the veil. Mum was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her 3 kids: Rena (Meagan), Sita (Shalie), Tanya, her 7 grandchildren: Terina, Oliveti, Losepeli (Jay), Shane, Kalia, Viliamu, Tavita and her great grandbaby, Analina. Her 5 siblings: Glenn (Cameron), Dwight (Nada), Spencer (Dixie), Jeanette Tamowski (David) and Gaelene Hunsaker (Lon) and 18 nieces and nephews. Family Wake Saturday Jul 6, 2024 Aunty Jeanettes, 8525 S 1000 E, Sandy, Utah. (Park at the church) 12:00pm to 7:00pm Viewing the night before Sunday, Jul 7, 2024 Birchbrook Ward, 6710 S 1300 E, Cottonwood Heights, Utah. 5:00pm to 10:00pm Viewing & Funeral Services Monday, Jul 8, 2024 Birchbrook Ward, 6710 S 1300 E, Cottonwood Heights, Utah. 9:00am to 10:00am- Family Viewing 10:00am-11:30am-Public Viewing 11:30-12:00pm-Family Prayer 12:00pm to 1:30pm - Bishops Services Burial Monday Jul 8, 2024 Wasatch Lawn Mortuary 1:30pm to 2:30pm 3401 South Highland Dr Millcreek Ut, 84106 Celebration of Mum Monday, July 8, 2024 Venue (Next to In the Zone), 4151 S Redwood Rd, Taylorsville, Utah. 6:00pm to 10:00pm

Luana Vernetta Philipoom

January 19, 1951 - June 28, 2024