Mulipola Pa’iau Lolesio Fuapopo PALA’AIA SAGALE SU’A
Sunrise: 13 Tesema 1939
Sunset: 16 Iuni 2022
I tausaga mulimuli o le soifuaga o lo matou Tamā, sa iai lenei fuaiupu o le Tusi Paia i luga o lona laulau tatalo
“ ‘Ia ‘outou ō mai ‘iā te a‘u ‘outou uma o ē ‘ua tigāina ma mafatia i avega, ‘ou te avatua ‘iā te ‘outou le mālōlōga.” Mataio 11:28.
Ou te talitonu na ia filifilia lenei fuaiupu e fai ma faamanatuga mo ia ina ua ia tauivi ma le tigaina mai le ma’i a le ‘parkinson's disease’. I pō sa matua’i tigaina ai, sa matou faalogo atu i talosaga a Tamā i le Atua Silisili Ese. Sa maua ai lona malosi e onosa’i ai. Sa usu mālie o ana pese e si’i ai le faafetai ma le viiga i le Atua, a o mafatia i le tigaina faaletino. Ina ua uma lana sauniga tatalo i afiafi ta’itasi, sa maua e ia le filemu ma le mapusaga e moe ma mālōlō lelei ai.
O lo’u Tamā, o se tagata sa malamalama lelei i le mana o tusitusiga paia, o le taiala lea mo i matou e ola ai i aso taitasi. O le tala lelei o le ola ia tatou faatinoina. I lo matou olaga, sa molimauina ai le loto agamalū, le agalelei ma le loto alofa, le tautinoga, le galue faamaoni ma le ositaulaga a lo matou Tamā e ala i lana auaunaga i lona āiga i Niu Sila ma Samoa, i le aulotu o St Patrick's Panmure ma le tele o tamaiti na ia tausia.
I lona soifuaga, sa tele ona tiute ma matāfaioi, o le matai o lona aiga lautele, faiaoga Aoga Aso Sa, fautua, ma le faiaoga. O lenei molimau, ua na’o se saafiafiga itiiti i le olaga na aafia ai le toatele, e ala i ana upu ma galuega faa’auauna.
Matou te alolofa ia te oe ma misia oe tamā.
In the last few years of dad’s life, he had this bible verse on his wall above his prayer table:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28.
I believe he picked this verse as a reminder for the times when he struggled with the pain from the parkinson's disease. On his bad nights, we would often hear Dad praying to his heavenly father, not for relief, but for the strength to endure and persevere. He would sing, give thanks and praise the Lord while in so much physical pain. After his prayer session he would find peace and relief enough for him to sleep well.
That was who my father was to me, a man who understood the power of scripture, that it is the guide for us to live our daily lives from. A living gospel that is brought to life through our actions. Throughout our lives as his children, we had witnessed the selflessness, generosity, love, commitment and sacrifice our father demonstrated through his service to his family in New Zealand and Samoan, to his church community of St Patrick's Panmure and to the many children he cared for in addition to us.
Throughout his long and full life our father wore many hats, matai of his wider family, Sunday School Teacher, councillor, and mentor. This memorial is only a small tribute to a life that impacted many through his words of wisdom and acts of service.
We love you and miss you dad.
Dad’s Memorial Video
Explanation of Headstone
Dad’s Trip to the Holy Land and Rome
At the end of 2015, Tumua and I went on a prayer retreat to plan for the upcoming year, to reflect and listen out for whatever God was calling for us to do in 2016. This mustard seed was planted out of our prayers, the calling that we must take mum and dad to Jerusalem and Rome because this will be the last opportunity for Dad to be able to travel there.
We then spoke life into this calling with my siblings’ encouragement and support along with faithful prayer, God’s plan unfolded.
Throughout that year, God made the way for us to source funds and resources that enabled this trip to happen for mum and dad. The whole overflow, business class flights, great accommodation and personalised tour guides.
There are so many highlights on this trip from:
Standing on the Mt of Olives, walking through old Jerusalem
Praying at the Garden of Gethsemane
Celebrating Christmas mass in Bethlehem in the Cathedral of the nativity
Walking down into the site of the stable and touching the place of the manger.
Visiting and attending mass in the Holy Sepulchre,
Traveling through the desert to bathe in the River Jordan,
Visiting the house of St Peter the Apostle in Capernaum in Galilee
Visiting the Mt of Beatitudes and dipping our feet in the sea of Galilee
Arrived in Rome to attend a Papal audience with Pope Francis
Celebrate mass in the Vatican Grottoes (Papal Tombs) under St Peter’s Basilica
Visit Abbazia delle Tre Fontane (Abbey of the Three Fountains) where St Paul was beheaded.
Celebrate New Year's Mass in the church of Santo Spirito in Sassia which is The Divine Mercy Spirituality Centre.
Tumua and I were blessed to take mum and dad on this trip of a lifetime. During his last days, his memories of this trip gave him comfort, having had the opportunity to walk on the soil and dip his feet in the water that was touched by Jesus, was a lifelong dream that became reality for him.
As his children, we are so grateful to God for blessing us with the ability to give him this experience before he was called home to his heavenly Father.
Love you dad and we will cherish these moments for the rest of our lives.
Alofa tele Tumua & Ken Pala’aia (Youngest son).
Sa fānau la matou tamā i Sāleapaga i Lepā.
Sa fānau la matou tamā i le aso sefulu ma le tolu o Tesema i le tausaga tasi iva tolu iva.
Sa maliu o ia, ua atoa lona valu sefulu lua, masina e ono, ma aso e tolu.
Our father was born in the village of Sāleapaga in Lepā on the 13th of December 1939 and he passed at the age of 82 years 6 months and 3 days.
O lona tamā o Pala’aia Sagale Su’a i Lepā.
O lona tinā o Ta’ē-Akenese Fetuli mai Sālua Manono.
Na maliu lona tamā, faatoā tolu tausaga a Mulipola.
His father was Pala’aia Sagale Su’a who was from Lepa and his mother Ta'ē-Akenese Fetuli was from Sālua Manono. His father passed away when dad was only three years old.
O matou mātua na fa’aipoipo i le aso sefulu lima o Setema i le tasi iva fitu lua.
Our parents were married on the 25 September 1972.
E to’afitu matou.
E to’alua teine: o Fuaiupu ma Theresa.
E toa’lima tama: o Taupaū Sefo, Paulo Sua, o Lolesio, Ken Joseph ma Ioelu.
There are seven of us.
The two girls Faiupu and Theresa.
There are five boys Taupaū Sefo, Paulo Sua, Lolesio, Ken Joseph and Ioelu who was like a son to dad, especially towards the end of his life.
E to’asefulu tolu grandchildren.
E to’afitu great-grandchildren.
Dad has thirteen grandchildren.
Dad has five great grandchildren.
Our Papa, Grandpa, Dad and Husband
Farewell Dad
Dad’s last wishes were to ensure his family did not suffer or struggle financially. He wanted a quick funeral with all eulogies to be shared at his family service. On his burial day, dad only wanted Mass because it was his time with our heavenly Father. 
Your legacy will always be remembered by the way we live our lives and the lessons we will share with everyone we encounter.
“ ‘Ua ‘ou tau le tāua lelei, ‘ua i‘u ‘iā te a‘u le tausinioga, ‘ua ‘ou tāofi i le fa‘atuatua. O lenei, ‘ua teuina mo a‘u le pale o le amiotonu, e foa‘iina mai ‘iā te a‘u i lea lava Aso e le Ali‘i le fa‘amasino amiotonu; e lē gata fo‘i i ‘iā te a‘u, a o i latou uma lava o ē fiafia i lona fa‘aali mai.”
2 Timoteo 4:7-8
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7-8