Dolly Jo “Tutu Lady” Sayre Wong November 11, 1928 – May 07, 2019 Share this obituary Send Flowers Send Sympathy Card On May 7th in the quiet town of Pahoa, Hawaii our lovely “Tutu Lady” went home to God. Dolly Jo Sayre Wong, “Tutu Lady,” was born in Coalgate, Oklahoma on November 11, 1928 to Delbert and Nova Sprague. Tutu was one of three sets of twins born to the family.
Her humble beginnings started as a newborn when a drawer was used as her crib. The name Dolly was given to her because she was so small due to her diagnosis of polio. Tutu would tell stories of her brother carrying her to school for miles on his back.
This display of love became engraved in her. It is the same kind of love she shared with the world. That love is also what drove her to pursue a career in nursing.
At a young age she started working at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston as an independent private nurse and then later held an administrative nursing position at Palm Springs Hospital. A few years later Tutu was given the opportunity of a lifetime to lead the nurses at Maui Memorial Hospital as their Director of Nursing, a position she held for many years until her retirement. After several years of helping in the hospital’s thrift shop, making her custom dolls, caring for her many grandchildren, and the loss of her late husband, Samuel Wong, she moved to Pahoa, Hawaii.
Tutu loved her family. She also loved music, babies, beautiful flowers, making dolls, baking her “famous” banana bread, and watching Wheel of Fortune. Even after her many years of service in the medical field, she continued to serve and care for terminally ill children.
She would go on to foster children and eventually adopted her son, Kalei Wong. She is survived by her late husband Samuel Wong, her children Gary “Kid” Sayre, Cindy Spencer, Kathy Lee Sayre, and Kalei Wong. She was blessed with eight grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, and family and friends all over the world that she held dear to her heart.
Tutu also leaves behind her last living sibling, Clarence Sprague, a 94-year-old World War II Veteran. Tutu was the light of our world and it remains our honor to live as she would, love as she would, and forgive as she would. A celebration of life will be held on Hawaii Island and on Maui.
On Hawaii Island, a celebration of life for Tutu will be held at Hilo Methodist Church on May 25th at 1:00pm. Another service on the island of Maui will be held at Ala Lani Methodist church in Kahului on June 1st at 2:00 pm. Tutu is our life and the strength for all.
Our lives have felt love through her continued acts of kindness and forgiveness. It remains our privilege to have witnessed God’s love through Tutu’s life. We will continue to honor our commitment to love and forgiveness as she did.
As Tutu Lady would say “I love you more than apple pie”.
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