deaths

Ratu Sir Jone Latianara Kikau In Suva on August 3, aged 75.

Ratu Sir Jone, a former Senator, and originally from Bau, entered government service in 1936 as a Provincial Scribe. In 1949 he was prom oted to the position of a Fijian magistrate and a provincial Roko.

From 1952 until his retire ment from government service in 1967, Ratu Sir Jone served as Roko Tui in the provinces of Ra, Lomaiviti and Tailevu.

In 1980 he was appointed to the Senate as a nominee of the Great Council of Chiefs.

He has been a member of the Native Land Trust Board and served on numerous fund raising, charitable and other committees. Even in retirement he took an active interest in the welfare of his people.

Ratu Sir Jone was made a Member of the British Empire in 1967 and in 1980 was made a Knight of the British Empire “for long and loyal service to the government and in particu lar to the provinces he had served”.

Ratu Sir Jone’s wife, Adi Saiki Kikau, died earlier this year (PIM Mar. p 65).

Adi Kelera Faioso In Bau, Fiji, in June, aged 82.

Adi Kelera was a great granddaughter of Ratu Seru Cakobau and direct descendant of the Tamasese and Leutele families of Western Samoa.

Adi Kelera’s father, Ratu Etu ate Wainiu, was one of the twin sons of Ratu Cakobau’s eldest son, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau Leutele.

The Samoa Times, Apia, wrote in an obituary: “While she may not be as well-known here as she should be because of her age and her long absence from Samoa a very select group that includes Rev. Faatauvaa Tapuai, presi dent of the Methodist Church, Rev. Father Talalelei Tapu, vicar of the Anglican Church, Rev. Sione Tamalii, secretary of the Methodist Church, and

others have very fond mem ories of her.

“According to Rev. Father Talalelei the late Adi Kelera was mother, friend and counsellor to most of the former students of the Pacific Theological Col lege in Suva”.

Adi Kelera was married to the Rev. Saua Pouvi, who died several years ago.

Fr Bernand Franke At St Vincent’s Hospital, Syd ney, on August 13, aged 81.

Fr Franke was a pioneer Catholic priest who spent more than 56 years as a missionary in East and West New Britain.

Fr Franke joined the mis sionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1922 and was ordained a priest in 1927.

Fr Franke came to PNG in 1928 and worked as a mission ary at Valoka, Vitokare and Bariai in West New Britain, before being transferred to East New Britain.

He served the Rabaul parish, including Matupit Island and nearby villages.

During World War 11 he was among hundreds of prisoners of war at Ramale village, near Kokopo.

In 1978, Fr Franke was awarded a CBE by the Queen for services to the Church and the community.

In 1983 the Church tried to persuade Fr Franke to retire from active duties and return to Germany, but he refused and asked for “semi-retirement” in stead and was assigned to light er duties.

East New Britain Premier, Ronald ToVue, said Fr Franke was “liked and loved” by the people of East New Britain because of his friendly and sincere personality.

“He dedicated his whole life to serving the people of this province.”

Papa Raitia Tepuretu At Tupapa, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on June 12, aged 92.

Papa Raitia was bom in Rarotonga on March 8, 1892.

He was educated at the Lon

don Missionary Society School, St. Joseph’s, and then at Tereora College 1904-07.

A veteran of the two World Wars, he served with the New Zealand armed forces in Egypt and France in World War 11.

He was wounded in France.

He was a life member of the Cook Islands Returned Service men, having been its president for 26 years. He was also president at times of the Raro tonga Sports Association (12 years), Tupapa Maraerenga Youth Club and the Cook Islands National Arts Theatre.

He also served the Cook Is lands Christian Church in many spheres.

He was made an MBE in 1965.

Paying tribute in parliament, Prime Minister Sir Thomas Davis, a stepson of the de ceased, said: “We are consoled that Papa Raitia has lived a long and successful life with signifi cant contributions to the coun try, the commonwealth, and the whole world. He was a good father to us all.”

The then Leader of the Opposition, Geoffrey Henry, extended deepest commisera tions on behalf of himself, opposition members, and Cook Islands Party supporters.

Papa Raitia had been a pat ron of the Cook Islands Party since its formation.

“People like Papa Raitia are signposts in the history of our country. He represents a very important generation of people in the Cook Islands,” said Mr Henry.

John Lennon In Rabaul on June 10, aged 64.

Mr Lennon was in charge of Rabaul’s coastal radio service at the time of his death.

A spokesman for the service said Mr Lennon was believed to have died from a rare form of leukaemia.

John Lennon was renown bed for his positive outlook on life and his bustling manner.

This reporter knew him a little in his recent years in Rabaul.

John had a pot-belly but it

belied his general pursuit of fitness. He swam several kilometres every day and play ed social and competitive tennis frequently.

He went to Apia, Western Samoa, as an official of the PNG tennis team which com peted in the South Pacific Games there last year.

John Lennon began his working life in 1934 as a tele graph messenger in Sydney and first came to PNG as a radio operator on a British merchant navy ship in 1945.

In later years, he served in Australia, PNG, Fiji, the Fan ning Islands and the Cocos Keeling group.

He was on secondment from OTC Australia while stationed in Rabaul. Noel Pascoe in Papua New Guinea Post- Courier.

Francis George Forster In Suva in July, aged 88.

Fiji-born Frank Forster joined the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) in 1914, and saw action at Gallipoli in 1915.

He joined the Fiji Defence Force when he returned after the war.

He left service in 1942 as a lieutenant-colonel and became District Commissioner for Rotuma.

He retired from the Civil Service in 1968 as a deputy registrar and joined the law firm of Munro Leys.