BHS class of '70 - passing of Leila Hamner Wasson
I just learned yesterday that Leila Hamner passed away last October. Brad Wilhelm stays in touch with Leila's cousin, Gary Hamner, also from our 1970 class. Gary had told Brad about Leila's death, and Brad asked me if I knew, which I did not. Leila and I started out together in kindergarten at Thomas Jefferson, and also were in the same class in 4th grade and 6th grade at Jefferson, and then of course through John Muir and BHS with all of us.
Leila Hamner Wasson was born May 2, 1952 at St. Joseph in Burbank. After graduating from BHS with us in 1970 she attended and graduated from the L.A. County/USC School of Nursing as an R.N. She worked in nursing for L.A. County for over 25 years, last working for a number of years at Olive View Medical Center/UCLA in Sylmar in administration as the Nursing Manager. She and her husband and daughter had lived in Granada Hills since 1987.
Leila was diagnosed with Hepatitis a number of years ago, possibly due to her nursing career, and seven years before her death had a liver transplant. Unfortunately that liver was failing in the last couple of years, and she needed a second liver transplant. She had been in the hospital for about three weeks waiting for another transplant when she passed away before she was able to get another liver.
Leila passed away on October 10, 2008 at UCLA Medical Center in Westwood at age 56. A memorial was held on Sunday, October 26 at the Odyssey in Granada Hills. (Leila's cousin, Gary, and his dad, Ed Hamner, BHS '49, came from northern California for Leila's memorial. Just two weeks later on November 9 Ed Hamner passed away unexpectedly at age 77.)
Leila Hamner Wasson is survived by her husband, Jerry Wasson, (who is our age and graduated from John Burroughs in Burbank); her 21 year old daughter, Amanda; her mother, Virginia Hamner of Burbank; her sister, Camille Hamner Earhart (five years younger than us), who lived two doors away from Leila in Granada Hills; and her brother, Dyson Hamner (ten years younger than us), of San Diego. (Leila's father, Dyson Y. Hamner, BHS '43, passed away in 2006.)
Since Leila was at UCLA for about three weeks before she passed away on October 10, it turns out she was there at the same time Blyden and I had our kidney transplant surgery at UCLA on September 24. I was there for nine days after the transplant, and was discharged on October 2, just a week before Leila passed away. Sad coincidence.
Leila's former husband, Don Burnside, BHS '65, also died young. He passed away from brain cancer just before his 37th birthday in 1984. Exactly three years later his dad, Allan Burnside, also died from brain cancer in 1987 at age 68, almost 69. (For those of you who attended Luther Burbank, Allan Burnside was our Principal at John Muir.)
Alan Landros
leila hamner was my neighbor on hilton drive in burbank. i met her in 1959 and lived across the street from her for 13 years. she was smart, sweet and a ballet dancer for many years. we both worked at st joes in burbank after high school. leila was a year ahead of me in school and i left and attended hoover in glendale for high school. i remained close to many people in burbank and i later married bob loranger fom burbank h.s. i feel terrible that she went through so much as she was caring for so many others. rest in peace
ReplyDeleteI knew Leila Hamner from the days of working at the Psychiatric hospital, Woodview-Calabasas in the mid 1970's. She was always kind, caring, and had a delightful sense of humor.
DeleteIt's strange that after all these years, she has suddenly been on my mind so frequently. While working on a quilt I was half watching TV; the name Hamner was in the credits, so I decided to google her name.
I am so sad to learn of her passing, and the suffering she endured. I pray that God will comfort her friends & family. Give them the comfort of knowing she is free from this earth suit and all pain is in the past.