Deaths

of Islands People

Kopil Padipurakil

Alexander

At Lautoka, Fiji, in September, aged 88. Mr Alexander came to Fiji from India in 1912 as an indentured labourer. He re ceived his early education at Basil Mission School at Paraperi, in the Indian state of Kerala. After his agreement period, he joined the Methodist Mission Teachers’ Training In stitute at Davuilevu, and qualified as a teacher in 1925.

His first school was Balata Indian School at Tavua. He later taught at schools at Rakiraki, Sigatoka and Nadi before retiring in 1949. His only son is Dr Henry Alexander, Divisional Medical Officer (western).

Powells Of Fiji

In an air crash near Jakarta, Indonesia, in August. Both born in Lautoka, Fiji, Jim Powell, 35, and his wife Eliza (nee Beddoes), 32, were killed when a Vickers Viscount of the dom estic Indonesian airline Bouraq Airlines crashed into marshland about 30km from Jakarta. With them died their

daughters Robina, 11, and Davina, 7. Jim Powell was employed at the time as execu tive assistant manager of the Regent of Balikpapan Hotel, Jakarta.

Frederick Stanley

Buffett

At Concord Repatriation Hos pital, Sydney, Australia, in September, aged 83. ‘Uncle Stan' was the second youngest son of the 13 children of Henry Seymour and Marianne Selina both Buffetts who came from Pitcairn in 1856 and married on Norfolk in 1873.

Selina was the last child to be born on Pitcairn before the removal to Norfolk. ‘Uncle Stan’ saw service with the 7th Australian Light Horse in World War I in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East.

He lived all his later life on Norfolk. Two years ago he had a leg amputated, and it was soon after a second leg ampu tation that he passed away.

Mary Laulei

At Vanikoro Island, Eastern Islands Province, Solomon Islands, in August, at an esti mated age of 124. Believed to be the oldest woman on Vanikoro (if not in the whole

country), Mary Laulei saw four generations of her own family before her death. Shortly be fore she died, she said she was about 15 when Bishop J. C.

Patleson was clubbed to death at Nukapu, Reef Islands, in 1871. She recalled seeing the Bishop once at Matema island before he was killed. In 1908 Mary Laulei accompanied her husband to Norfolk Island where they were trained in Christian teachings. They re turned to Vanikoro in 1909 only to return to Norfolk after a year. They finished their train ing and returned home for good in 1912. Her husband died of old age many years ago, as many of her own children have done.

Bessie Adams

On Norfolk Island in August, aged 77. Bessie Adams was a daughter of Philip and Mary (nee Christian) McCoy, and at the time of her death was living in the original McCoy family

home at Steele’s Point. Because she had not been at church on the Sunday morning, Pastor Doug Harrigan went out to see her on the following Tuesday and found that she had died some hours before.

Edgar Edward

(‘Brud’) Young

Of a heart attack in New/ Zealand in September, aged 62.

Norfolk Island-born ‘Brud’

Young was the second son oft the late Rupert and Rose Christine (nee Quintal) Young..

“Brud' Young joined the New, Zealand forces in World War 11, was in Greece and was; evacuated to Crete where he; lost an arm and was stabbedl through the heart. His New' Zealand doctor always called! him the ‘Miracle Man’ who, by' the law of averages, should! have been dead. He was for many years the popular porter at the Great Northern Hotel ini Queen St, Auckland.