deaths

Tomiteau Finau At Vaiola Hospital, Nukualofa, on October 28, aged 59.

A prominent legislator, re spected churchman and com munity leader, Mr Finau at the time of his death was serving on the Royal Land Commission, to which he had been appointed by Tonga’s King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV on April 22, 1983.

Mr Finau was a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1971-74, and again from 1979- 80, filling out the term of his elder brother, Lupeti Finau, who died on March 11, 1979.

He had also served as a peo ple’s representative to the Ton ga Water Board and to the Commodities Board, the latter from January 1980 to Decem ber 1982. He was also a legal adviser for the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, and a mem ber of the church main trust and many sub-committees.

He was educated at Nukunu ku Free Wesleyan Primary School, and at Tupou College where, in 1943, he attained a maamaloa, a certificate as an outstanding student of the year.

He completed his formal education at Auckland Univer sity.

On July 1, 1954, Mr Finau began working for His Majesty’s Government as a senior clerk in the Audit Department. He be came a first class clerk at the Ministry of Works on July 1, 1956. He left the Civil Service on September 17, 1959.

Afterwards he practised as an attorney, both in private prac tice and with the Free Wesleyan Church. He also served as an adviser to the Nukunuku Secondary School, established on February 8, 1975, where he stressed the importance of stu dent discipline and the need for technical skills.

His approach resulted in the school’s construction of an in dustrial arts complex. A home economics building, at present under construction with U.S.

Peace Corps and Australian assistance, is also part of that legacy.

Mr Finau’s father, Molitoni F.

Finau, was the kingdom’s longest-serving parliamentarian

from 1919 until his death 47 years later.

Funeral services were held at Nukunuku on October 29.

They were attended by a num ber of nobles of the realm, members of the Legislative Assembly, heads of govern ment departments, and over 3000 other mourners.

Audrey Ashley In Suva in October.

Audrey Ashley was a much loved, long-time resident of Levuka.

She worked for many years as secretary to the Commission ers Eastern in the administra tion offices for the Province of Lomaiviti in Levuka. The two most recent of these commis sioners were James Makasiale and Nelson Delailomaloma.

Mrs Ashley fulfilled her duties with skill and with a great deal of humanity and concern for all the citizens of the area. She gave help to the needy and to all worthy causes. She was highly esteemed by all, and will be sadly missed.

Former prominent Levuka resident Victor Carell told PIM: “Audrey Ashley was a great supporter in the efforts to create the Levuka Community Centre. She extended sym pathy when there were difficul ties, gave good advice on the next moves, and worked tirelessly to help in every pos sible way.

“This included the drudgery of typing and copying endless letters, articles and publicity items. She never turned down a request for help, and was al ways supportive and encourag ing. A graceful, lovely lady whose charming presence illuminated life in Levuka, with out her help, the splendid com munity centre now existing in that town could not have been achieved.”

Fida Mohammed In Suva on November 14, aged 66.

A retired senior education officer, Mr Mohammed’s fune ral at Nasinu Muslim Cemetery on November 15 was attended by a guard of honor formed by

students from Muslim schools in Suva.

Mr Mohammed began teaching in 1937, and became a senior education officer in 1971. He retired in 1979 after 42 years of service.

The first school Mr Moham med taught at was Koronubu Indian School at Ba, and his last school was Samabula Govern ment School.

Mr Mohammed was the chairman of the Urdu Curricu lum Working Group, a life member of the Charman’s All Races Club and manager of the Suva Muslim primary and high schools.

Christopher John Harvey-Hall In a plane crash in Papua New Guinea, on December 4.

A prominent Lae business man, Mr Harvey-Hall was de scribed by Morobe Premier Utula Samana as “one of Lae’s most outstanding personali ties. ”

Mr Samana said his death was a great blow to the people who admired the Harvey-Hall family for their involvement in community development.

“Mr and Mrs Harvey-Hall have always had the time to assist in charity organisations’ fund-raising activities, led by example in community-orien tated projects, and assisted en terprising Papua New Guinean businessmen to establish their business,” Mr Samana said.

“Mrs Harvey-Hall’s father, Mr Jack Amesbury, former head master of Bugandi High School, also contributed in his way to produce some of the province’s and the country’s outspoken leaders, which we proudly acknowledge.”

The late Mr Harvey-Hall and his adopted son, Joshua, also a victim of the crash, were buried in Lae following a funeral service on December 8.

About 300 friends, relatives and businessmen in Lae attended.

Iva Louise Langdon In Canberra on December 15, after a long illness.

Mrs Langdon was the wife of

Robert Langdon, executive officer of the Pacific Manu scripts Bureau, Australian Na tional University, Canberra. Mr Langdon is the author of seve ral books on the Pacific, and a former assistant editor of PIM.

Marguerita Edith Mathews In Sydney on November 19, aged 64.

A Fiji resident from 1950 to 1974, Mrs Mathews was born in Melbourne, the only child of the late RAAF Wing-Commander and Mrs W. F. Brotherton.

She served for several years in the WRAAF before going to Fiji, where she became private secretary to the late Sir Maynard Hedstrom, general manager of Morris Hedstrom Ltd.

Her husband, Peter Mathews, who served in the RNZAF at the Laucala Bay base, died in the early 19605.

Sailasa Koro In Suva on November 14, following a 10-metre fall from a breadfruit tree, aged 18.

A trainee teacher at Fulton College in Korovou, Sailasa Koro, of Yabia, Tailevu, had just completed a four-year pri mary level teaching course, and was to have graduated on November 25.

Koro slipped and fell from a breadfruit tree at the college on November 13.

He fell headlong and landed on a concrete pavement.

Koro was rushed to the Colo nial War Memorial Hospital where surgeons operated on him immediately in a bid to save his life.

Koro suffered multiple head injuries and a broken shoulder in the fall.

Koro’s aunt, Mrs Verenaisi Vaqewa, also a school teacher, told The Fiji Times they were told of her nephew’s death just two hours after they returned from the hospital on the even ing of November 14.

Koro went into a coma after the fall and died without regain ing consciousness.

He was an only child brought up by his grandmother in Yabia Village, Wainibula, in Tailevu.