Kavakehe Makanesi

Kavakehe Makanesi, age 65, passed away on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, surrounded by his wife, Sila Tuakoi Makanesi, their children, and grandchildren. He had been suffering the last eleven years of his life battling End Stage Renal Failure and Congestive Heart Failure.

Kavakehe was born in Fatai, Tonga on July 20, 1959, to Tevita Vave Namomo and Sisilia Huavai Fehoko. Tevita and Sisilia had three children together, with Kavakehe being the youngest and only boy. His parents later would marry someone else and had additional children, making Kavakehe the oldest boy of 15 children.

Kavakehe grew up in Fatai, Tonga and eventually joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After serving a full-time mission for the church, he met his Uncle Henry Bloomfield and ended up migrating to America to stay with him. In April 1983, he met his future wife, Sila Tuakoi while visiting Utah. They courted for some time and were eventually married and sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on November 26, 1983. They had eight children, seven girls and one boy.

Growing up in Tonga, Kavakehe learned the meaning of hard work and sacrificing for the needs of others. Kavakehe hustled to help raise his siblings. He used to sell coconuts after school until morning and then rush home and take his sisters to school all while being only ten years old. He attended Liahona High as a 9th grader but due to family obligations he had to leave and go to work. Without any formal education, but with a strong desire to provide for his family, he started his own construction company and worked as a general contractor. He got contracts for jobs by walking door to door and networking. He used his experiences from his childhood and mission to help him push through all the trials that came. He successfully was the sole provider for his family of ten and relied heavily on the Lord to assist him all those years.

Kavakehe is preceded in death by his parents, and his two older sisters Falelala Namomo Tupi and Unaloto Makanesi Katoa. He is survived by his wife, Sila Tuakoi Makanesi, children; Arlena, Mele (Diego) Cayupi, Unaloto (Saimasina) Suapaia, Kariana (Siope) Lapu'aho, Brenden (Darby) Makanesi, Luseane (Coleman) Decker, Pamela (Peni) Tupou, and Melepone (Michael) Lervold. His treasured grandchildren are: Jeremy Makanesi, Brenden Makanesi, Sampeni Lapu'aho, Pamela Lapu'aho, Sila Lapu'aho, Talite Lapu'aho, Aria Makanesi, Adalaide Makanesi, Mele Makanesi, Luseane Lervold, Kariana Lervold, and Michael Lervold, and is expecting an additional granddaughter, Faipola Decker, later this year. Kavakehe was also privileged to help raise his honorary granddaughter Kelia Kallush since she was only three months old.

We would like to thank family and friends for bringing joy to his life and also the staff at DaVita Dialysis in California and Utah for keeping him alive and allowing us more years with our father and husband.

A nofo aki putu will be held from 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the Makanesi's residence. A viewing will be held from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the Church Building located at 1146 West 1450 South, Orem, Utah 84058. The Bishops Program will begin at 12:00 pm, the same day at the same location. Burial will take place at 2:00 pm at the Orem City Cemetery.

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