Elaine Leal

My beautiful wife, Elaine, was born in Bakersfield, CA on January 5th, 1961 and left us too soon on February 1st 2021. She was employed at Kern Health Systems for over 24 years as a Claims Retroactivity Examiner. I met Elaine when she was 15 years old. We were together for 44 years and married for 39 years. For me it was love at first sight, but for her, it took her some time to warm up to me before realizing I was a good catch. Elaine graduated from East Bakersfield High School in 1979. She was crowned Princess at the winter formal and I was lucky enough to be her escort. For those of you who were fortunate to know Elaine, you knew that she was a people person. She would be in line at the grocery store and strike up a conversation with a stranger as if she knew them for years. She had a gift to stand up for those she felt were being picked on, would go out of her way to help those in need, or offer a ride to those who needed one. For instance, she would leave for work every day at 6:30 a.m., and every day at the end of the road, she would see a young girl waiting for the school bus to arrive. Well, this didn't sit well with Elaine. She couldn't have this young girl waiting by herself in the cold. So, she decided to pull over, introduce herself, and ask this young girl if she would like a ride to school. Surprisingly, the young girl accepted and this became a daily routine. A bond developed between the two during their daily drives to school, as did a beautiful relationship between Elaine and Kaelani Burja. From then on, Kaelani was a member of the Leal family. Elaine loved her children and grandson with all of her heart. They were her pride and joy. I asked our kids if there was a special memory they would like to share about their mother. For our eldest son, Pete Jr., he will miss hearing his mother laugh and the sound of her singing. He will always remember how Elain pretended she was being squeezed too tightly while receiving a great big bear hug. Our daughter, Trina, has a fond memory of Elaine the day Dian was born. Having her mother by her side and crying tears of joy when Dian made his entrance into the world will forever be a cherished memory. Elaine couldn't wait to be a grandma. She and Dian became two peas in a pod. With their birthdays just days apart, Dian is so much like Elaine; friendly, very talkative, and has a beautiful, warm smile. Without a doubt, our Elaine will live on through our grandson, Dian. Our kids were blessed to have such a wonderful mother like Elaine. She only wanted the best for them in life and she spoiled them every chance she could. Elaine enjoyed our family get-togethers with my brother, Ray and his wife, Julie and family. We'll forever cherish those memories. Christmas was her favorite holiday. As soon as the Christmas music started playing on the radio, you would hear her singing from the top of her lungs, especially if it were a song by the Carpenters. She loved decorating the Christmas tree with her "love button" Dian. This last Christmas she happened to mention to Dian as they were decorating his little Christmas tree in his room, "When grandma is gone, I want you to continue decorating your tree. It's our tradition, and I want you to always remember how we would decorate for Christmas every year." Well, that made Dian cry and he said, "Grandma, I don't want you to go anywhere!" Elaine said, "Oh baby, grandma isn't going anywhere for a very long time!" Sadly, that was not God's plan. Our hearts are broken and our lives will never be the same without you in it. We will miss your bubbly personality and loud laughter. You were the one who made things happen and stirred up all the fun. We happily followed you, but didn't fully appreciate what we really had until now. It is so very quiet without you. We love you Elaine, and you will forever be in our hearts until the day we meet again. I thank God for every single day we had with you. I will especially miss the way you guided me from making poor decisions in life and at work. Without you, I would not have become the strong man that I am today. You are my rock and always will be. I will love you forever, Elaine. On behalf of Lynn, my family and I, we would like to thank Kern Health Systems for their generosity and support during this difficult time. The out pouring of cards, texts, and prayers for Elaine, showed just how much she was loved by all. We would also like to give a special thank you to Dana Miller, Elaine's other sister/friend/shopping partner. Thank you, Dana, for being a good friend to your Sissy Elaine and for being by Lynn's side. I know Elaine, our forever angel, is watching over us. Elaine is preceded in death by her father, Inez Mora, her mother, Julia Mora, and her sister, Janet Mora Dwight. She is survived by her husband of 39 years, Pete Leal Sr., son, Pete Leal Jr., daughter, Trina Okazaki, grandson, Dian Okazaki, sister, Lynn Mora, and adopted granddaughter, Kaelani Burja along with numerous family and friends. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4