Selesa Vele

Selesa Vele, age 60, peacefully passed away on May 17, 2025, with her loving family by her side. She was born on November 7, 1964, in Asili, American Samoa to Kasala To’o and Fa’animo Tuala. She married her eternal companion, Jerome Pulu Vele, on May 31, 1986, in San Francisco, California and were later sealed for Time and Eternity at the Salt Lake City Temple on November 6, 2010.

Selesa was a very gentle, loving, and sweet soul that radiated through her beautiful smile. She enjoyed many things in her life, but her favorite was being a stay-at-home grandma to her two grandkids, Esafe and Asili Toilolo.

Selesa also had a passion for arts and crafts and cultural attire, specifically in the Samoan culture. She created many Samoan designs and attire that she was able to feature in a fashion show in August of 2024 in Salt Lake City, UT.

She also enjoyed watching Korean Dramas and had an interest in the Korean and Japanese cultures as well. Selesa lived in Japan for 8+ years, while her husband was serving in the US Navy, and that’s where her love for Japanese culture started. In her life, she also lived in San Francisco, California, Medford and Eugene, Oregon, and finally planted roots in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Selesa is survived by her husband, Jerome Vele, her son, Jeremiah (Jazmin) Vele, her daughter, Jaclyn (Maurice) Toilolo, her precious grandkids, Esafe and Asili Toilolo, her brothers, Peniamina Kasala, To’o Kasala To’o, and Iosefa Kasala To’o, and her sisters, Tina Kasala Manu, Fetuoleola To’o, Fa’animo Kasala Kiliona, and Tina To’o. She is preceded in death by her parents, Kasala To’o and Fa’animo Tuala and her brother, Siaana Kasala.

Funeral services and burial will be held on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Redwood Memorial Mortuary located at 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, UT. 84123 from 1-3 pm.

Her family would like to thank the doctors and nurses at the Intermountain Medical Hospital in Murray and Copper Ridge facility for helping Selesa in her last few months.