CELEBRATION OF LIFE TRIBUTE
LEONA
JONA – 1930-2025
Leona Jona, beloved
mother, pioneer, and community leader, passed away in 2025. Born in Hungary in
1930, Leona was the youngest of five children. She faced adversity early,
losing her father at age six and enduring the hardships of wartime Hungary. At
fourteen, she and her brother bravely escaped to Austria during the Russian
occupation.
After the war,
Leona’s determination led her to earn a degree from the Academy of Economics in
Budapest. She married, started a family, and, following the 1956 Hungarian
Revolution, fled with her husband Tom and daughter Marian. With the help of the
Red Cross and Australian supporters, they found refuge and eventually
immigrated to the United States, arriving on Christmas Day, 1956.
Despite the
challenges of adapting to a new country and language, Leona’s perseverance
ensured her family’s survival. She welcomed her second daughter, Lilian, in
1958 and soon found her calling in accounting and bookkeeping. In 1974, Leona
moved to Hawaii, where she overcame months of job searching to secure a
full-time position. Her career flourished when she joined KNDI Radio,
eventually becoming Station Manager and, in 1987, the proud owner of the
station.
Leona’s greatest
legacy lies in her tireless service to the community. She established the
Ethnic Education Foundation of Hawaii (EEFH), a 501(3)(c) nonprofit, in 1993 with
co-founder Shelby Henderson to help support KNDI, KZOO, KREA, and other ethnic
media venues. Under her leadership, EEFH partnered with organizations such as
the Hawaii Justice Foundation and HIEMA, expanding resources and programming
for Hawaii’s immigrant populations and helping newcomers feel welcomed and
informed as they transitioned to life in the United States.
Leona’s vision and
dedication transformed KNDI into a beacon for Hawaii’s immigrant communities,
expanding its programming to support and comfort newcomers to the United
States. Her legacy is one of resilience, compassion, and unwavering commitment
to helping others.
In 2013, after
decades of dedicated service, Leona retired, confident she had found the right
people to continue her mission. Geronimo Jr. and Nellie Malabed took over KNDI
Radio, committed to maintaining the station’s format and its vital role in
supporting Hawaii’s immigrant communities.
Leona is survived by
her daughters, Marian and Lilian, and countless friends and colleagues whose
lives she touched through her 95 years. Her memory will live on in the
community she helped build and the opportunities she created for others.
Survived by 3
Generations:
Daughter
- Marian Jona
Granddaughter
- Angelina Tracy
Great
Granddaughter - Sailor Perkins
Grandson -
Vittorio Tracy
Great
Granddaughters - Elsa Tracy
Ammelia Tracy
Daughter -
Lilian Rathmann
Granddaughters
- Morgan Rathmann
Alexandra Rathmann
The Staff and
Management of KNDI Radio would like to express our sincere condolences to the
family and friends. Leona was an
inspiration to many!