Rest in peace, Tuliaupupu Pala Lima!

By Sarafina Sanerivi 29 March 2017, 12:00AM

Hundreds of people crowded the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa at Letogo yesterday to farewell a prominent chief, a respected accountant and a pioneer of Auditors in Samoa. 

The life of the former Director of the Unit Trust of Samoa, Tuliaupupu Fata Lupematasila Pala Limā was celebrated yesterday during his final service. 

Tuliaupupu was called home on 13 March 2017 at the Middlemore Hospital in New Zealand. He was 84.

The Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi and the Masiofo, Her Highness Filifilia Tamasese were among other dignitaries who gathered to witness Tuliaupupu’s final day. 

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi paid tribute to Tuliaupupu.

“He was not only healthy physically but also mentally. He had a very sharp mind,” said Tuilaepa. 

“Tuliaupupu was the one of the few Samoans who was there from the beginning in establishing the Audit Office.”

Tuilaepa went on to say that Tuliaupupu is one of the four veteran Accountants who was given the honor of Fellow Chattered Accountant. Other members include Misa Telefoni Retzlaff, Tuiloma Pule Lameko and the Prime Minister himself.

Tuliaupupu was described as a loving and ambitious father, grandfather and great grandfather. Like any other father in the world, Tuliaupupu loved and adored not only his children, but also his nieces and nephews. 

Reverend Ma’afala Limā, Tuliaupupu’s second eldest son, and the Principal of Malua Theological College was chosen to give a eulogy on behalf of his children. 

He recalled so many of their fond memories with their father when he was alive. Rev. Ma’afala said his father was a loving person. 

“He loved his siblings, his children, his family and his village,” he said. “He is a father to so many children, and although there are heaps of us, there was not a single time where we were hungry."

“He loved all of us equally from the eldest to the youngest.”

Reverend Ma’afala described his father as a hard-working man. 

He said his dad was proud of his children was especially proud of his younger brother, Muliagatele Brian Limā, a former Manu Samoa Captain and World Rugby Hall of Famer.

“He was so proud of Muliagatele during his glory days as a Manu Samoa player."

“I remember how he used to be so excited every time the Manu Samoa played. And if there was a game at four in the afternoon, my dad would get ready at seven to wait for the game."

“He gets really mad whenever referees make a wrong decision against Manu Samoa. My father knew a lot about rugby even though we all knew he did not play in a rugby team." 

“He used to say to us that his position was the hooker.”

Reverend Ma’afala also recalled his father’s trip with his younger brother, Muliagatele to be inducted into the IRB Hall of fame in 2011.

“It was one of the highlights of his life,” said Reverend Ma’afala. 

The other highlight was Tuliaupupu’s trip with a friend, William Keil to watch the famous, Maestro’s Luciano Pavarotti’s concert in New Zealand. 

“My father did not know anything about Opera or Music, but he went to accompany William to the concert.”

Reverend Ma’afala also described his father as a family man. He held his family values dear to his heart. 

“He is a man of not so many words,” said Reverend Ma’afala. “He doesn’t say much, but he is a hard worker.”

Tuliaupupu was also Letogo’s mayor for so many years and had served his village with humility and love. 

“One of God’s many gifts to our father was that he had a good memory. He didn’t go to University, but he did what he had to do to make sure that all his children will succeed.”

Tuliaupupu’s spiritual father, Reverend Lavilavi Soloi also paid tribute to one of the pioneers of the E.F.K.S church at Letogo. 

Reverend Soloi described Tuliaupupu as “a great servant of God.”

“He was a great leader, not only in his family, the village and also our congregation."

“Even since we moved here to Letogo to look after this congregation, we’ve never heard of any differences within the village and also our congregation under Tuliaupupu’s leadership.”

He went on to say that Tuliaupupu was a man with a giving heart. 

“He would give only the best for God and his work.”

Reverend Soloi recalled the time when there was a cyclone and it destroyed the veranda of the Church. 

“Tuliaupupu came running with a hammer to try and fix the part that has fallen down in front of the church. One old lady in the village came and told him to stop as warnings for heavy rains were still effective."

“However, Tuliaupupu did not stop. That was the kind of person he was. He set a good example for the others to follow. "

“As soon as he knew there’s work to be done, he will get it done. It was such an honor to have spent time with someone like him in the work of God.”

 

Background- 

Tuliaupupu Fata Lupematasila Limā was born on the 29th of November, 1932 to parents, Maumalo Mose Pisi Alaiva’a Limā and Fa’atiga Fata Limā.

He has eleven siblings. 

Tuliaupupu was married to Talaetau Letoa Limā on the 20 of April 1957.

He was a father to twenty (20) children, a grandfather to sixty two (62) grandchildren, and a great-grandfather to twenty five (25) great-grandchildren.

Tuliaupupu is an old student of Avele College. He also graduated from the Western Samoa Society of Accountants. 

He first worked as a mechanic at the Nelson Company. 

He then worked at the Burns and Philips Company, before he worked as a shipping agent at the J&M Ah Kuoi Company.

He was then employed as a tax collection agent at the Inland Revenue Department in New Zealand. 

Tuliaupupu then worked as a Road worker in Savaii for Public works. 

Later on, he became a Lecturer at the Western Samoa Society of Accountants.

He was an Auditor for the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa for many years. 

He was also a certified Public Accountant and was given the honor of being a Fellow Chattered Accountant. 

He was a Board Member for the Apia Park Board, and was also a Board member of the Accident Compensation Corporation. 

He was an Executive Member of the Samoa Housing Corporation and was the Director of the Unit Trust of Samoa. 

He held the matai titles of Tuliaupupu from Letogo, Fata from Afega and Lupematasila from Matautu Falelatai. 

By Sarafina Sanerivi 29 March 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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