Derek John "Eli" Vaifanua

Derek was born on October 23, 1974 at 1:10pm at Torrance Memorial Hospital in Torrance, California as a bouncing 7 pound baby boy. His parents were John and Elizabeth, and later in life his step-father, Ali'ilelei. Derek was raised in Pago Pago, American Samoa. Derek was raised with two siblings. He had one sister, Diora and one brother, Chanel. Derek graduated from Samoana High School in 1992. Derek attended ITT Tech to study computer science and earned his A+, Network+, and Security+ Certifications in 1999. On June 13, 2008 Derek exchanged wedding vows with Logomai Tua in Las Vegas, Nevada. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped him in raising his own children. Derek was blessed with five children, Peresetene, Tautalatasi, Jasmine, Diora, and Preston. Derek had the ability to focus his attention on the present moment. Although a strict disciplenarian, his compassionate side prevailed and his children, nephews, and niece always knew Derek's love for them. He could spend hours entertaining them with music and YouTube videos. Derek enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. A “music” type, Derek liked creating and making music. His favorite pursuits were creating music and training to be a Jeopardy contestant. Derek was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others. Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Derek recognized that his faith was important to him throughout his life. He was a member of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa in Las Vegas. Derek was a lover of animals and cherished his pets, enjoying them almost as much as he enjoyed being around other people. One of Derek's favorites was his pitbull, Tyson. Derek passed away on October 24, 2013 at 12:07pm at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is survived by his father, John; his mother, Elizabeth; his step-father, Ali'ilelei; wife, Logomai; children, Peresetene, Tautalatasi, Jasmine, Diora, and Preston. Services were held at Palm Northwest Mortuary in Las Vegas, Nevada.