Deaths of Islands People

Mr. Ludwig Somare Father of Papua New Guinea’s Chief Minister Michael Somare, Mr.

Ludwig Somare, a tribal chief and ex-police sergeant, died in Angoram Hospital on June 7, aged 70 years.

The hospital is near the Sepik village of Karau which was founded by Mr.

Ludwig Somare’s grandfather. Mr.

Somare was chief of the village and also of the Saet clan.

The Chief Minister was on his way to Sydney from Apia after attending Western Samoa’s 10th independence anniversary celebrations when his father died. On his return to Port Moresby, the minister flew to the Sepik for the funeral.

Mr. J. K. Stone John Kingston Stone, a New Zealand journalist who spent a total of about 19 years in Fiji with The Fiji Times, died suddenly in Christ church in May, aged 63. His great interest in life was in the people of the Islands, especially those of Fiji and of the islands to the east of Fiji.

He was intimate with Islands’ customs and attitudes, and this showed in the many articles he wrote right up to the time of his death, when he was working on the Christchurch Star.

As a young man in NZ he learned Maori. He worked on a number of NZ newspapers before and after the war, and first went to Fiji in 1945 as a journalist on The Fiji Times, then owned by Sir Alport Barker.

He remained there for 10 years.

He returned to The Fiji Times again in 1958, as associate editor, after a brief stint in Sydney and in NZ on NZ newspapers. He remained with The Fiji Times until 1967.

In his many years in Fiji he was not personally well-known to the expatriate community, spending most of his time in the company of Fijians.

John Stone was a competent journalist and a graceful writer.

Captain N. H. Pearson Captain N. H. Pearson, who made 131 round trips from Auckland to Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Niue Island as master of the Tofua, died recently in New Zealand. He retired in 1963.

Before becoming master of the Tofua, he made many other trips to the South Pacific in USS Co. ships.

He joined the company in 1924 as a fourth officer, and served through various grades, till promoted master in 1945.

He weathered four hurricanes in the Tofua, and was proud of the way his ship behaved. He remarked later, “Hurricanes cut you down to size.

They make you realise how small you are”.

Mr. Varea Tongatonga The oldest man on Malo Island died at his home, Nanugu village on April 15. Mr. Varea Tongatonga was believed to be about 117 years old. He helped the first missionary, Rev, J. D. Landels build the mission on Malo Island.