DEATHS of Islands People

Ratu Marika Vukinamuaievu Ratoto Latianara At Sorokoba Village, Viti Levu, Fiji, on August 20, aged 70.

As Tui Ba, Ratu Marika was traditional chief of Fijian people on the east side of the Ba River, and headed one of the largest landowning units in Fiji.

Ratu Marika was born at Sorokoba on March 13, 1913, the son of the then Tui Ba, Ratu Kaliova Vukinamuaievu and Adi Luisa Matai.

He was installed as Tui Ba and became a member of the Ba Provincial Council in 1959, a year after the death of his elder brother, Ratu Filimone Naleya, the then Tui Ba.

In 1979 he was appointed to the Senate by the Great Council of Chiefs and remained a Senator until his death.

Ratu Marika was instrumental, with Ratu William Toganivalu, in introducing cane-farming to Fijians in Ba and Tavua.

After an early boxing career that saw him retire undefeated in Fiji’s middleweight, light heavy weight and heavyweight boxing titles, he went into sugarcane farming.

He began his professional box ing career in 1932 and retired in 1937 as the undefeated heavy weight champion of Fiji.

He was described by many as one of the most colorful and scientific boxers in Fiji.

Matapo Matapo In Rarotonga, Cook Islands, in July.

Elected in the March, 1983 poll as a representative of the Cook Islands Party for the Rarotonga parliamentary seat of Titikaveka, Mr Matapo was a

very popular man. There is no doubt this personal popularity was largely instrumental in his defeating Democratic Party can didate, Teariki Matenga, who also enjoys wide popularity.

Mr Matapo’s death has signifi cance for the Cook Islands bey ond the loss of a respected public figure. It was one of the chief factors precipitating the Cook Is lands’ second general elections this year, which are due to be held on November 2. (See report in this issue.) Wilisoni Inia At Tamavua Hospital, Suva, on August 25, aged 65.

Wilisoni Inia was nominated to the Fiji Senate by the Council of Rotuma in 1970, and re mained the Rotuman representa tive in the Senate until his death.

“He was a man of great com passion and understanding, pos sessed with much graciousness and dignity,” said the President of the Senate, Senator Wesley Barrett. ”His death will be a sad loss to the Senate. I can’t remember one occasion when Senator Inia was not seeking assistance on behalf of the Rotumans in the Senate.

“He used every opportunity to do so. His debates were always very reasoned and well constructed.”

Setareki Tuilovoni In Sydney on August 10, aged 66.

The Rev. Setareki Tuilovoni was twice president of the Methodist Church of Fiji.

Bom at Natokalau, Matuku, Mr Tuilovoni taught in Method ist schools before entering the ministry in 1944.

After recovering from a long illness he received his theologic al training at Drew University, Madison, New Jersey, from 1947 to 1950, when he graduated as a Bachelor of Divinity and was ordained.

He was appointed Director of Methodist Youth in 1951.

Mr Tuilovoni was awarded an MBE in 1960, then went to Un ion Seminary in New York, where he received his Master’s Degree in Sacred Theology.

In 1962 he became the first Fijian chairman of the United Synod of the Methodist Church and the first president of the church at the establisment of the

Methodist Conference in 1964.

Mr Tuilovoni became involv ed in the ecumenical movement through attendance at interna tional missionary conferences in Canada in 1947 and Ghana in 1958.

It was through contacts in Ghana that he was able to chan nel finance into setting up the Pacific Theological College in Suva.

In 1967 he became secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, a post which he held until 1974.

Mr Tuilovoni was associate secretary of the New South Wales Board of Missions in Syd ney from 1977 to 1982, and at the time of his death was parish minister of the Uniting Church in Australia at Wellington, New South Wales.

He was to retire at the end of the year.

Ciwa Ivy Stewart In England in July, aged 96.

Mrs Ciwa Ivy Stewart was the last surviving daughter of Little ton Griffith, who founded The Fiji Times at Levuka in 1869.

She was*also the widow of the late Douglas Roy Stewart, who served in Fiji for many years as a British colonial officer.

Mrs Stewart worked with her father on The Fiji Times for a period.