Deaths Of Islands People

Lady Barker

CHE death occurred in Suva on November 27 of Lady Evelyn Barker, wife of the well nown Sir Thomas Alport Barker, roprietor of the Fiji Times, and ;veral times Mayor of Suva.

Lady Barker had been an invalid >r several years. Prior to that, she as a well-known figure in Fiji, here she ably assisted her husband i the many duties connected with is public life.

Sir Alport and Lady Barker had le child—Molly, who now is the ife of Mr. Frank I. Ryan, a well aown citizen of Suva.

Many public tributes were paid to le qualities of the deceased lady, ad messages of sympathy from all /er the South Pacific poured in pon Mrs. Ryan and Sir Alport arker.

Some of the most touching came om native Fijians, among all inks of whom she had many d friends. She was bom in Fiji, aughter of Mr. and Mrs. James urton Turner, pioneer settlers in le Rewa River area; and, except hile being educated in Sydney, she red all her life in the Colony, lie married Alport Barker in 1909.

During all her adult life, Lady arker took a prominent part in ►cial and charitable work, es jcially during the two World Wars. r hen the terrible flu epidemic of 118 was raging in Fiji, she and her asband were assigned the district : Nasese, where they nursed over K) people, mostly Fijians. She was woman of fine character and rong personality, who will long j remembered in Suva.

Sir Peter Buck, Kcmg

rS death occurred in Honolulu on December 1 of Sir Peter Henry Buck. He was 71 and ad been in ill-health.

Sir Peter was recently described 3 “the world-renowned Pacific Sinologist, scientist, author, Yale rofessor of Anthropology, and Irector of the Bishop Museum in bnolulu since 1936.”

He was born in Taranaki, New ealand, the son of an Irishman ad of a Maori chieftainess. He as educated at Te Aute College, scame highly proficient in his Lother-tongue, and gained the agree of Doctor of Medicine in 110. He subsequently won other igh scholastic degrees, including rts, Law and Science, As Dr. uck, he became a well-known New ealand medical officer; he was a [ember of Parliament for several ears; he served as a Medical •fficer in World War I, where he ained the DSO and other decora ons; and he carried out important ledical and scientific missions in ie South Pacific Islands for several

years after the war, both before and after his appointment to the Bishop Museum. He was the acknowledged world expert on Polynesian ethnology. He wrote many books and papers on Polynesian culture generally, and on the Maori race in particular. Britain made him a Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George, and from Sweden he received the coveted Order of the North Star. Although he received great distinctions from the United States, he remained a British subject.

He was greatly assisted in his work by Lady Buck whom, as Miss Margaret Wilson, of Greymouth, New Zealand, he married in 1905, and who survives him.

A Honolulu correspondent says: “He was an interesting and gifted scientist, and we shall miss him . .

He had no enemy in the world—only friends . . . Most of us here hope that the new Director will be our friend Edwin H. Bryan Jnr.”

The Rev. C. Beharell

fTIHE death occurred at Esk, JL Queensland on December 2 of the Reverend Caleb Beharell who was an LMS Missionary in

the early part of this century. He was at Hula Mission (Rigo district of Papua) more than 30 years ago.

One of his sons was in the Papua Service at one time as a Patrol Officer.

Mr. A. J. Tattersall

Anew Zealander, Mr. a. j.

Tattersall, who had lived in Samoa for 65 years, died on November 25 at the age of 85.

Through his professional work he was known all over the world—he had been a professional photo grapher for 50 years. He lived through the Samoan wars; he wit nessed the 1889 hurricane; he was a personal friend of Robert Louis Stevenson; he saw the German flag

raised in 1900, and the New Zealan flag in 1914; he saw the Ma rebellion and, finally, the develop ment of present conditions. Th history of Samoa is embodied in hi collection of photographs.

Mr. Tattersall, in 1891, marrie Miss Blanche Yandall, and thei family is well-known. One soi Mr. Ralph Tattersall, is a Com missioner of the High Court of Apk

Eric Ernest De Brath

Eric ernest de brath, bor: in Simla, India, and resides in Tahiti since 1931, died a Haapape on September 17. H served in World War I as a Secon Lieutenant, Infantry, Indian Arm Reserve of Officers. In 1939 h again volunteered for duty, but wa not accepted. He married Iren Josephine a Taraihau in 1936, an leaves a widow and three childrer He was popular in Tahiti.

R. Mdwilliams

ON November 16, Mr. E McWiliams Senior, died sud denly at Santo, New Hebride; His funeral was attended by th British District Agent, the Trend Delegate, the French Chief of Polic (Santo) and many British an French residents, including repre sentatives from business houses The funeral service was read b; Captain Hamilton of the Tamates Mr. McWilliams with his son 80l was engaged in a trading store oi Malekula Island. He had a cheerfu personality and was well-liked.

Mr. Stanley Ralph Foy

rpHE death occurred on Novembe X 18, of Mr. Stanley Ralph FO5 at his home in Rabaul, Ne\ Guinea.

He trained as a Barrister at th Inner Temple, London and for th next thirty years practised u Burma. In 1942, he was one of th refugees who walked from Burms through the Hukon Valley t< Chittagong, India.

Mr. Foy joined the Legal Brand of the Army and rose to the rani of Lieut. Colonel.

He was 58 and is survived by hi widow, two daughters and a son.

Captain Victor Brisson

CAPTAIN Victor Brisson died ii Noumea on September 29 after a long period of ii health. He was born in Savigny sur-Orge, France, and arrived ir Papeete in 1913. He was for manj years in command of the Frend revenue schooner Mouette; th( four-masted schooner Aneiura: vessels of Maison Balland, Noumea; the American yacht Wander lust; and, finally, his own little vessel Bissy Girl, in which he travelled extensively in the Soutt Pacific before settling in the Solo mons trade. Finally, owing to ii health, he sold Bissy Girl and went to live in Noumea with an adoptee

T. E. Bunkley

Mr. T. E. Bunkley, once a well nown merchant in Tahiti, died on ictober 19, aged 80. His wife pre eceased him by two years. He left large estate, to be divided among weral children, some in America nd some in Tahiti. The story of is life will be told by Oscar Nord tan, in an article in January PIM.

Mr. Christian Jensen

Mr. Christian Jensen, American tizen and veteran of World War I, ied in Tahiti on November 27. He as buried in the American con jssion at Paurani cemetery, the jrvice being conducted by the rotestant Pastor, Mr. Rey Lescure. [e is survived by his wife and 17sars-old daughter, Louise.

Mrs. Joe Winchester

Rose Marguerite Sophie Terai eia, widow of the late Captain Joe Winchester (unjustly immortalised 3 “Lying Bill Pincher” by Frederick ►’Brien in his “Mystic Isles of the outh Seas”) died in Tahiti on bvember 1, aged 73, at the Arue ome of the late James Norman iall, who was her son-in-law. She tarried Captain Winchester in 197, and their daughter Sarah tarried Mr. Hall.

Maraea, as she was affectionately nown to all, was a close friend of ovaina, of Hotel Tiare fame. Her

mother was Mrs. William Rose, and

th”&sf T

b « a christlan marriage to a European.

The late Mrs. Winchester was buried beside her son-in-law. There was a large attendance at the funeral.

Mr. Frans Franzen

riSlh^in

Aucldand on October 7 of Mr. Frans Franzen who, for the past 30 years, h as been head of the Dental Ser vice in Tonga,

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It is largely through his efforts lat Tonga’s fine corps of dental ssistants has been trained and that le present high level of dental jrvice has been maintained.

Mr. Franzen had gone to Auck ,nd after a recent illness. His 3me was in the capital, Nukualofa, at he was well known throughout onga and had many friends in eighbouring Pacific Islands groups.

Vidme. De Vasseau Devaux

Delayed advice has been received . Papeete of the death of Madame ? Vasseau Devaux, nee Stella r illiams, a descendant of the well lown Isaac Thompson family of ahiti.

Madame de Vasseau Devaux died i June 26 at Lyons, France, fol wing a severe throat operation, er body was returned to Tahiti by le Chungking on August 29 and le was interred at Paurani jmetery. She was born in the imaauia district in 1916, and she aduated from the Protestant Girls’ 3hool and became a popular school acher. She was also an amateur tist, and a display of her work had cently been given at Lyons, Her isband is a Lieutenant of the rench Navy, at present attached to ie Soudanais.

Mr. Dan Costello

Mr. Dan Costello, well known sident of Fiji, died unexpectedly l Auckland on December 7, at the je of 56. He underwent a severe >eration in Auckland several weeks ?o; rallied, and returned to Suva; id then became seriously ill again, id was flown back to Auckland.

Daniel Bernard was one of the ist known and highly esteemed of ie six Costello brothers who made ieir home in Fiji about 40 years ;o; and he engaged successfully in unmerce in several directions. His ife and some members of their unily were with him when he died, is elder brother, Mr. Pat Costello, tLC, and Mrs. Costello, were in ustralia at the time; and the un cpected news came to them as a reat shock.