Barbara June Lawson
OBITUARY
Barbara June Lawson was born December 19, 1945, on Oahu, Hawaii, to June Lotela Pell and Norman Walker Lawson. When Barbara was just four months old, her family’s home in Mokuleia, on Oahu’s North Shore, was destroyed by the largest tsunami ever to strike the Hawaiian Islands. The family relocated to Kailua, where Barbara spent an idyllic childhood just steps from the beach. There, she spent countless hours swimming in the ocean, reading voraciously, snacking on crack seed and rice candy, and enjoying the company of friends. One of Barbara’s favorite hobbies in her teenage and young adult years was to dance Tahitian, which she was very good at. Barbara graduated from Punahou School in 1964, where she made many dear friends who remained important to her throughout her life.
Soon after graduation, Barbara moved to California to explore the mainland and attended college at California Western in San Diego. There, she met Jeffrey Isaacs, who was attending law school at the time. They were married for 13 years and had two children together, Meleana and Jackson. In 1976, Barbara and Jeff settled in La Jolla, which became Barbara’s home for most of her adult life-particularly the Windansea neighborhood she loved so dearly.
Barbara devoted more than 20 years to educating young children in kindergarten through second grade at Grant Elementary School, King Elementary School, and La Jolla Elementary School. She shared her heritage proudly-each year guiding her students in presenting a Hawaiian song and dance performance for their schools.
Barbara was exceptionally smart-far more than she ever gave herself credit for. She had a presence you never forgot: honest, sharp, opinionated, quirky. She loved deeply and made those she loved feel as though they were the center of her world. Her greatest joys included books, music, travel, animals, candy, flowers (especially ginger and gardenia), and, above all, her four grandchildren.
Barbara passed away on August 21, 2025. She is survived by her children, Meleana Leaverton and Jackson Isaacs; her son- and daughter-in-law, Michael Leaverton and Liz Isaacs; her grandchildren Lucas Leaverton, Dean Leaverton, Michaela Isaacs, and Dylan Isaacs; her siblings Nicky Lawson (and sister-in-law Jill Lawson), Johnny Lawson, and Lynn Heen; her nieces and nephews Andrea Lawson, Keli’i Heen, Lindsay Lawson, Malia Lawson, Morgan Lawson, and Heather Heen; Jeffrey Isaacs and his wife Johanna Isaacs; and her cherished morkie, Plaza 2.
Although Barbara built a beautiful life for herself and her children in La Jolla, Hawaii remained her true home-a place that shaped her spirit and lived within her always. Her life has been honored in several beloved spots across Oahu, surrounded by her family.
She is deeply loved and missed.