Hawai'i residents will have a chance to celebrate the life of Madelyn Dunham, grandmother of president-elect Barack Obama, at a community tribute service at 5 p.m. tomorrow at the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl.

The event is being put on by friends of Dunham and the Obama family, although family members themselves are not expected to attend.

The tribute likely will be the only opportunity for the public to celebrate Dunham's life and mourn her death.

"I'm not aware of any other public events," said Andy Winer, Obama's state campaign director.

The president-elect is expected to visit Hawai'i later, possibly in December, ostensibly for a private memorial service. Details of that visit, including where Dunham is to be buried, have not been announced.

Dunham, 86, died of cancer Nov. 2, two nights before Obama was elected president.

The woman referred to affectionately by Obama as "Toot," short for the Hawaiian word "tutu," is largely credited with raising the future president. He stayed in her Pawa'a-area apartment from the time he was 10 until he graduated from Punahou School in 1979. The Honolulu-born Obama had also lived with her or near her home for the first six years of his life.

Photojournalist and television personality Emme Tomimbang, a family friend who is among those helping to organize tomorrow's event, will emcee the service.

"She raised him, she was the primary parent for him." Tomimbang said. "So everything he is we also honor because it came from her."

Tomimbang said musician Willie K will perform briefly. The musician is a favorite of Obama's and performed at a fundraiser for him during the summer.

Remarks on behalf of Obama and Maya Soetoro-Ng, his sister, are to be given by Al Landon, Bank of Hawaii chairman and chief executive officer.

Dunham was one of the bank's first two women vice presidents. Howard Stephenson, the one-time chairman and chief executive who first hired Dunham in 1960, is also expected to give remarks, as will several women Dunham mentored over the years, Tomimbang said.

George Scott, a chaplain at Punahou School who became acquainted with Obama when the two worked on Chicago's South Side in their younger years, will also say a few words, Tomimbang said.

Asked why no family members will be at tomorrow's service, Winer said: "Because this is a public event being held by friends of Madelyn Dunham. The family will have its own private service that they will attend at a later date."

While Soetoro-Ng won't be in attendance, "Maya is very much involved," Tomimbang said. "She has put her thumbprint on this and has guided us all along with what she thinks her grandmother would want."

Those organizing the event are friends of Dunham "who want to reconnect with each other and share memories of her," Tomimbang said. "They wanted to do something in Hawai'i so they could come together and basically just have closure, yeah?"

Officials with Borthwick Mortuary, which is handing Dunham's funeral arrangements, are also assisting, she said.

Dunham's husband, Stanley Dunham, was a World War II veteran, and an urn containing his ashes is interred at the Punchbowl columbarium. Spouses of those buried at Punchbowl are eligible to make it their final resting place as well.

But Tomimbang and others involved in tomorrow's event said the fact that it is happening at Punchbowl should not be taken as an indication she will be buried there.

The service is expected to last about an hour. A parking area will be available within the crater.

Jerry Andrade, Borthwick Mortuary manager, said Punchbowl has 534 parking stalls.

"I don't know how many chairs they're going to put out but I'm sure it'll be in the hundreds," he said. "They're expecting a large crowd but we really don't know."

Andrade stressed that the event is a tribute service, not a memorial service, and is designed "to pay tribute and share memories in honor of Mrs. Madelyn Dunham."

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dunham's name to organizations in search of a cure for cancer.

Soetoro-Ng was with her grandmother when she died in her apartment.

Obama made an abrupt visit to Hawai'i while his campaign was still in full swing to say farewell to Dunham less than two weeks before her death.