Deaths Of Islands People

Captain S. B. Smith Captain Stephen Smith, well-known master of several inter-island ships in Fiji, died on February 19 when he fell from the roof of his house, while he was inspecting paintwork. He was 56.

Captain Smith was a member of a Vanua Levu family, and spent almost all his working life at sea.

Ships of which he was master in cluded the first Komaiwai, Adi Keva, Tuvalu, Altair and Tui Cakau.

He leaves a widow and nine children.

Lolohea Waqairawai, BEM Lolohea Waqairawai, BEM, the first Fijian woman to be educated overseas and who played a big role in the social development of Fijian women, died at Suva on February 18, aged 74.

She was the daughter of the late Rev. Maikeli Ratu, of Narewa, Nadi, and was born at Natuatuacoka, Navosa, while her father was resi dent minister there.

After her primary education in Fiji she was further educated in Aus tralia —at the Manly Public School, Sydney Girls’ High School and Syd ney Teachers’ College.

She taught at various Methodist mission schools in Fiji from 1914 till her retirement in 1950.

Lolohea became a welfare officer after her retirement, and spent much time travelling, mostly in the interior of Viti Levu, organising mothercraft courses and child welfare work.

From 1924 she was one of the leaders in the soqosoqo vakamarama,

which is now the biggest women’s organisation in Fiji.

She was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1948 for outstanding public service, and in 1953 she received the Queen’s Award for meritorous service to the community.

Mrs. Judy Fallon Mrs. Judy Fallon an Australian journalist and author of Pacific Panto mime, one of the few recent books ■in English on New Caledonia, was found dead in her London flat on February 12. She was 50.

Mrs. Safua Sisa A Suau woman, who made a big contribution to the work for womens progress in Papua-New Guinea, died at Kwato, near Samarai, P-NG, in February. , She was Mrs. Safua Sisa, aged about 50, born at Kwato.

After she was widowed about nine years ago, Mrs. Sisa started work as a teacher at Kwato.

Later she joined the Department of District Administration in Port Moresby, helping to look after an Administration hostel for girls. Four years ago she became a welfare assistant at Kaugere Welfare Centre.

Mrs. Sisa had many interests and encouraged other women to accept leadership work.

Captain E. J. Stephens

Captain Eric John Stephens, a pioneer aviator in New Guinea, who helped fly nearly 200 people out of inland aerodromes in New Guinea while under attack from Japanese bombers in early 1942, died in Lae recently. He was 71.

He was awarded a civil commendation for bravery for “saving a large number of people from capture”. His last trip was in the “Faith of Australia”, the late C. T. P. Ulm’s famous monoplane.

Captain Stephens was born in

Western Australia. He won the Distinguished Flying Cross in World War 1 as a member of the Australian Flying Corps.

He arrived in New Guinea in the early 1930’s and formed the Stephens' Aviation Company to operate a Wau-Salamaua goldfields cargo run in 1936.

He used two DH61’s, a DH50 and a Handley-Page Hercules, which he flew from Perth to Port Moresby in April, 1936.

In 1937, his company won a contract for a passenger, mails and cargo service from the New Guinea goldfields to Madang.

The company lost three planes in crashes between 1938 and 1941.

Captain Stephens left the territerritory after the war, but returned in 1959 to take up farming near Mumeng, south of Lae.

He left a widow and five children.

Mrs. C. L. C. Kronfeld Mrs. Clara L. C. Kronfeld, wife of Mr. Sam Kronfeld, of Auckland, whose family was long connected with Tonga and Samoa, died after a short illness in Auckland Hospital on January 19.

There are still many relatives and friends of the Kronfelds in the Islands.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Kronfeld were born in Vavau. Her father was man rvrjH i h " re tbe German firm,

Dh & Pg.