Aniva Teo

In Loving Memory of Our Beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Sister, Aunty, and Friend

Aniva Faofua Peniata Te’o was born of goodly parents to Faofua Peniata and Tagisia Moto on July 26, 1943, in Tulaele Pesega Upolo, Western Samoa. She came to the United States on June 30, 1957, at the age of 13 and lived in Torrance, California. Where she graduated from Meadow Middle School and went to South High School. Later, the family moved to Hawthorne, California. There she attended Leuzinger High and graduated in June of 1962. She worked for Hughes Aircraft Company in California for 35 years as a records clerk and retired as a supervisor for this same department in April 1999, to care for her husband.

On November 20, 1965, she married Loe Fili Te’o, in Lawndale, California. On January 10, 1967, Aniva and Loe were blessed with their first child Moana Mealai. Then on May 13, 1967, Loe and Aniva were sealed in the Los Angeles Temple for all time and eternity. Moana was also sealed to them on that same day. After nearly 10 years of wanting more children, on May 7, 1977, Aniva gave birth to her daughter, LaVon Lana. Then on July 10, 1979, she gave birth to her son, Reid Pulega.

Aniva’s family attended many Samoan wards in California: Compton 3rd & 2nd, Lynwood, and Nu’umau. When she and her family moved to Utah, in 1998, she continued to enjoy the company of Samoan members at the Mapusaga and Granger 11th wards. Because of her illness her membership was moved to her first English speaking ward, Hazelhurst. She held several callings in Primary, Young Women, Relief Society, Music Department, stake callings, and librarian. Her last calling was Meeting House Librarian at the Granger 11th Ward. She had the hardest time letting go of this calling. But after she was diagnosed with brain cancer on February 24, 2013, she was released the following month. After 10 difficult months, she lost her battle to Gioblastoma Stage 4 Cancer of the Brain. She was surrounded by her loving family and died peacefully at her home on January 1, 2014.

She was a woman of faith and was always in the service of her family, extended family, and friends. She bore her strong testimony of the gospel every day to her children, family, and friends as a way to encourage them to endure well their life’s challenges. She loved to sew and crochet as a young mother. She and her husband were very active in the Scouting program for over 35 years. It was there she began to have a love for camping and cooking in the outdoors. She was known to have the best laugh and biggest smile around. Aniva was incredibly beautiful and wore all the latest fashions with matching earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, and shoes. She had a ritual of taking care of her Saturday chores that were followed by her weekly appointment at the hair salon. In all the years anyone has ever known her, she never missed her hair appointments. Even just before her passing, she asked that her sister cut her hair or she could not go to her heavenly home.

Over the years, she and her husband opened their home to family, friends, and strangers. She always had a great love for pets. She even took in stray cats and dogs needing a place to stay and food to eat.

Aniva was loving and a caregiver to many people over her lifetime. She was always found giving away her last meal, pocket money, or clothes. Her quiet acts of kindness and her love of dancing, singing, and gardening will be greatly missed by all those who knew her. She had an incredible work ethic and is remembered as an individual who could never sit still. She had great organizational skills, was a perfectionist, and always completed her projects. Serving others was her life’s work.

She will be greeted at her heavenly home by her husband Loe Te’o; her son, Bishop Francis Te’o (survived by his wife, Studey), parents, several siblings, granddaughter, and many other family members. She is survived by her children, Moana Salazar (Jerry), LaVon Ma’ae-Perez (Paul), Reid Te’o; Step Children: Eric Te’o (Serah), Nora Purcell, Luse Kasteler (Lee), Trisha Johnson, Caroline Edwards. Her siblings – Sisters: Fetuao Manai, Tauave Leota, Teleni Togisala, Delaine Peniata; Brothers: Osa Peniata (Joanna), Kelly Peniata (Patty); 15 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held, Monday, January 6, 2014 at 11:00 AM at the Granger 11th Ward, 3901 W. 2925 S. WVC, UT. A viewing will be held prior to the service from 9:00-10:30.

Aniva Faofua Peniata Te’o left a great legacy for her family. She will be greatly missed.