Hawaii Pageant Queen and Hula Dancer Maile Emily Francisco Dies at 45
The 2005 Miss Aloha Hula winner passed away at a hospital on Oahu; cause of death has not been released.
Maile Emily Francisco, the 2005 Miss Aloha Hula, has died at a hospital in Hawaii at the age of 45. Her family confirmed her passing on Sunday morning at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center on Oahu. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Francisco, a mother of two, began her hula training at a young age. She studied at the Kealiʻikaʻapunihonua Keʻena Aʻo Hula school under Kumu Hula Leimomi Ho before continuing her studies with Kumu Hula Sonny Ching at Hālau Nā Mamo O Puʻuanahulu. She represented her halau (school) in winning the prestigious Miss Aloha Hula title in 2005.
Her brother, Kapua Francisco, remembered her as a beautiful person, soul, and hula dancer. According to Hawaii News Now, Francisco grew up in a family deeply connected to Hawaiian culture and hula. She reportedly started dancing hula at age four and joined a halau at 13.
"I've been dancing hula since I was four, so pretty much it's my life," Francisco told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in a 2004 profile. She also expressed enjoyment for cooking and singing.
Following her pageant win, Francisco continued her involvement with hula alongside her brother at Hālau Nā Mamo O Ka Liko Maile O Kohala. Friends and family have shared tributes, remembering her as a devoted mother, beloved sister, and gifted dancer.
"I'm so glad to have met an amazing person with such a beautiful soul and heart, such a humble and happy person like you. My heart breaks now that you are gone but heaven gained a wonderful angel,” wrote friend Leilani Campos on Facebook.
Francisco is survived by her two sons, Exodus Kekiaʻiokeānuenueokeola Nuʻa Francisco and Ezra Kiona Kekahualiʻionaʻiwikuamoʻo Nuʻa Francisco.
