Remembering Lani Oelerich
Published June 26, 2026
Remembering Lani Oelerich
Mother. Wife. Musician. Teacher. Baker. Seamstress. Friend. These are just some of the elements that comprise and describe the life of Leilani Oelerich.
On May 22, 2026, she passed away in her sleep at Arbors Memory Care.
A pillar of the Reno music community, “Lani” – as she was known to all of us – lived a generous and remarkable life. Born to Sam and Nelda Merritt in Burbank, CA, she started playing music in the fourth grade and the bass in middle school. Her mother wanted her to be a violinist, but Lani had no interest in the puniest member of the string family. She insisted on playing the double bass.
At a time when very few women played this behemoth of the orchestra, Lani would fondly tell stories of performing in southern California orchestras while growing up. Double bass legend Gary Karr and Daryl Dragon (aka “The Captain” of Captain & Tennille fame) were two of her many musical friends during that time.
She met her beloved husband Ralph while in college. After he finished his service in the Navy, and as their family grew, they moved to Reno and both established careers as long-time, beloved public-school teachers in the Washoe County School District. Lani taught strings and band at several different schools, being named at one point Teacher of the Year. Over her career as an educator, hundreds of students’ lives were shaped by her musical talent and patient, devoted instruction.
Music was Lani’s passion, and our community reaped the benefit. She was a founding member of the Reno Phil and the Reno Chamber Orchestra and for years served as principal bassist of these orchestras, as well as the Nevada Opera. On stage, audiences immediately recognized her striking red hair. During the heyday of the casino showrooms, Lani also performed regularly with some of the biggest stars in show business in Reno and Tahoe. Her energy level at this time was other worldly. She would get up at (or before) the crack of dawn, make breakfasts and lunches for the family, teach all day at school, come home and fix dinner, drive up to Lake Tahoe to play a set or two, arrive back at the family’s Washoe Valley house well after midnight, get a few hours’ sleep… repeat. Mere mortals would crumble at such a pace, but Lani’s devotion to music, her family, and her students fueled her to do all these things which she loved so much.
My memories of Lani come from 30 years playing together in the Reno Phil and Reno Chamber Orchestra bass sections. For the Phil during this stretch, the section comprised of the following handful of contract players: Engrid Barnett, Nancy Hoffman, Jon Keigwin, Brad Lund, Julie Machado, and Mark Wallace. Lani, Nancy, and I worked together in the RCO. Lani was the glue of these sections, and we all respected and adored her. In addition to her wonderful musicianship, she brought to the bass section incredible patience and perspective on life, as well as M&Ms, which she kept on her music stand and was always willing to share during a long rehearsal. She was a rock that we all relied on.
Because we bassists have a lot of gear to unpack and set up, we are often among the first people to arrive at rehearsals and concerts. A huge benefit of this was having time to chat with Lani. She would beam when talking about the achievements of her kids and grandkids, as well as the Hawaiian vacations and other adventures she and Ralph enjoyed together.
A fantastic seamstress she would proudly describe Halloween costumes she sewed by hand for her grandchildren. For years the Phil played 4th of July concerts, “Pops in the Park,” in Genoa, Nevada. The performances always had just one rehearsal on July 3rd. At that rehearsal we musicians received t-shirts that would be our uniform for the next day. While the rest of us would just throw on our tops, overnight Lani would modify and adorn hers with collars, fringes, and frills that made her shirt into a bespoke work of art.
She was a tremendous cook and baker. No matter how relentless her schedule, she always made sure that Ralph and the family had home cooked meals. Before the last holiday concert of the year, Lani would without fail bring to each of us in the bass section a delicious assortment of cookies from her kitchen.
For as long as she could, she walked her dog a mile every day. And she always had her bass out when she was home. The decision to finally retire from both the Phil and Chamber Orchestra in 2024 was among the most difficult she ever made. Lani loved music and never wanted to stop playing.
Not long after I moved to Reno, my mother passed away from ovarian cancer at the age of 59. Lani was about my mom’s age, and although I don’t think I ever told her explicitly, in addition to being my treasured friend and colleague, she was something of a mother to me. I suspect a lot of people felt this way about Lani.
Now that she’s gone, the memories of Lani and her impact on our lives will continue to bolster and support us, on stage and off.
Rest in Peace, Lani.
Scott Faulkner is honored and humbled to have succeeded Lani Oelerich as principal bassist of both the Reno Phil and the Reno Chamber Orchestra.
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