He initially served as a kahu (royal caretaker) and konohiki (land agent) for High Chief Leleiohoku, one of the grandsons of Kamehameha I.

Born circa 1822 in Lahaina, Maui, his father was Haʻaloʻu, the Governor of the island of Molokai under Prime Minister Kalanimoku, and his mother was Kipa.

His maternal half-brother was Timoteo Haʻalilio, secretary of Kamehameha III and envoy of the Hawaiian Kingdom who led a diplomatic mission to Europe and the United States for international recognition of Hawaii's sovereignty.

Some of his classmates included writer S. N. Haleole, historian Samuel Kamakau and future royal governor George Luther Kapeau.

She was the eldest daughter of the chiefess Kaikilanialiiwahineopuna and John Ena (Zane Shang Hsien) of Hilo, a merchant of Chinese descent.

[17] Haʻalelea was a staff officer in the retinue of Kamehameha III and later Prince Lot (the future Kamehameha V.[18][19] In the fall of 1860, Haʻalelea accompanied Prince Lot, a young David Kalākaua and Hawaii's Consul for Peru, Josiah C. Spalding, on a two-month tour of British Columbia and California.

They sailed from Honolulu aboard the yacht Emma Rooke, on August 29, arriving on September 18 in Victoria, British Columbia where they were received by the local dignitaries of the city.

[13][25][26] The two-story coral-house was originally built by Kealiʻiahonui and adjoined with Haimoeipo, the private residence of Queen Kalama, a relative of Haʻalelea.

In his lifetime, he befriended American conchologist William Harper Pease who kept his shell collections in Haʻalelea's home.

"[29][30][31] A similarly inscribed stone grave marker for Ululani, Haʻalilio and Haʻalelea was erected at the Kawaiahaʻo Cemetery in an enclosure, makai (seaward) of the Lunalilo Mausoleum.