deaths

Tago Ativalo In Pago Pago on May 3, aged 62.

Former Senator Tago had served in the Legislature of American Samoa for 12 years, from the 13th to the 18th Legislature. He served as Chairman of the Senate Sa moan Affairs Committee and member of the Public Works, Public Safety, Transportation and Agriculture Committees.

Tago was Vice Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee.

Prior to his being elected to the Fono, Senator Tago served in the U.S. First Marine Re serve, in the local Police Force, and the Department of Public Works. He was also a member of the Veterans’ Association.

Tago served as a deacon of the Congregational Christian Church in Nuuuli for many years and was selected to the elder deaconship this year in the Central District of Fagaloa and Ituau.

Fulivai At Nukualofa, Tonga, on May 12, aged 60 The Hon. Fulivai, was a noble and estate holder of Hunga, Vava‘u.

He collapsed and died after delivering a speech at the even ing session of the conference of the Free Wesleyan Church at Centenary Church, Nukualofa.

A nobles’ representative to the Legislative Assembly for more than 10 years, the late Hon. Fulivai was acting Speaker of the House on seve ral occasions.

He was a lay preacher and member of the Free Wesleyan Board of Trustees for the Vava‘u District.

He vas buried at Fungama nono Cemetery in Talau, Neiafu.

The late Hon. Fulivai is sur vived by 13 children. Two wives had preceded him in death.

Semisi Hamani ’longi On May 8, aged 91.

Mr ’longi was one of Tonga’s most noted composers and poets.

A former member of the Tongan Traditions Committee, the late Mr ’longi was well known for his composition of biua kakala (love songs) and traditional music. He was also a teacher at the former Free Church of Tonga School.

He is survived by several adopted children.

Matakeu Raitia In the Cook Islands on May 14, aged 58.

Matakeu Raitia was the widow of the late Papa Tepuretu Raitia. ‘Mama Matakeu was bom in Atiu and is survived by two children.

She was desended from the Ngati Tibokura of Atiu and was also a descendant of Rongoma tane, Ngamaru Aitutaki.

Her funeral service was held in the Tupapa meeting house before burial at the family home at Nukutaaratea Tupapa.

The Ui Mataiapo of Tupapa and the Ui AriTd of Atiu express ed their sorrow at the passing of one of their daughters.

Elisha Kou On Los Negros Island, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea, in April, aged 50.

A village court magistrate, Mr Kou was hearing a land dispute when, it is alleged, one of the litigants rushed towards him, grabbed him by the throat and strangled him.

Kou was taken to hospital where doctors confirmed he has died of strangulation and loss of blood.

Allen Pavitt In Apia on April 20, aged 83.

Mr Pavitt was an outspoken elder citizen of Apia.

A keen writer of letters to the editor. Mr Pavitt’s views on the economy and numerous other subjects are recorded in past issues of The Samoa Times and other publications. Mr Pavitt worked in various fields, but retired as the representative of New Zealand’s Fruit Distribu tors and lived his last years at his home at Vaoala.

Edouard Magnin In Noumea in April, aged 83 Dr Edouard Magnin was one of New Caledonia’s most emi nent citizens, the doyen of New Caledonian medical men.

Obviously early in life he fol lowed the maxim “Physician heal thyself,” because at his passing he was climbing to wards the 90s.

Bom on May 25, 1901, after early education in Noumea he went to France just after World War I to study medicine. He particularly distinguished him self in surgical studies, being awarded the coveted Medaille des Epidemics in 1927. He later won diplomas from the colonial health and hygiene services, and the merchant marine.

In 1931 Dr Magnin returned to Noumea to open a practice, the first locally bom doctor to do so. At that time most doctors were military men.

In 1938 he bought the Chateau Ulm, a remarkable residence set in beautiful park land on the outskirts of the town. He opened a maternity clinic there, with nursing services provided by sisters of the Society of Mary, a Catholic order. Six beds were reserved for private doctors wishing to hospitalise their patients.

This was a great milestone in the medical history of Noumea.

Under the auspices of the clinic a blood bank was formed, with more than 150 contributing members.

In 1952 the clinic was ex panded to a capacity of 36 beds, and two extra doctors were added to the staff. Further extensions in 1970 saw the clinic grow to become a com plex of modem three-storey buildings, with a capacity of 70 beds. A further advance was made with the installation of a cobalt therapy unit in the base ment of the clinic, with the first cobalt isotopes coming from Canada.

The qualities and services of Dr Magnin were recognised when the French Government made him a Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.

A man of great energy, the

doctor had many other interests which he attended to closely.

He initiated the project for the tourist hotel Chateau Royal at Anse Vata, in which he was financially involved. Chateau Royal was ultimately taken over by Club Med.

A few years before his death he introduced on the family cattle property at Karenga, about 40 kilometres from Noumea, the nucleus of a herd of a pure-bred Limousin strain of cattle. The herd has since grown to 400 head.

New Caledonia has lost a man of great drive and initia tive, who will be sorely missed.

M. Aliboron.

Stewart Middlemiss In Sydney in March, aged 72.

Captain Stewart Middlemiss would be remembered by many Islands people for his years of flying-boat operations from both Brisbane and Syd ney to the South Pacific.

He was the original pilot in 1936 at a flying school oper ated by the late Sir Reginald Ansett at Hamilton, Victoria.

He served for six and a half years with the Royal Australian Air Force, mainly on flying boats, and after World War II started Barrier Reef Airways, operating Catalina flying boats out of the Brisbane River.

In 1953 Captain Middlemiss flew Sir Reginald on a survey of the South Pacific to Tahiti, and this led in the mid-1950s to an Ansett Sandringham flying boat operation to Noumea-Suva- Tonga-Aitutaki-Tahiti, and re turn via Apia. These Sandring ham services also linked Lord Howe Island and Rose Bay, Sydney, for many years.

Captain Middlemiss was gen eral manager of Ansett Airlines of NSW for many years, and later was based in Port Moresby heading the Ansett operation to Papua New Guinea.

He was awarded an OBE for his services to aviation.

He is survived by his widow, Hope, daughter Carol, and sons Stewart and Stephen, both Ansett pilots.