Tui Wainunu Laid To Rest, Wife Recalls 31 Years Together
Thirty-one years of marriage for Asenaca Baleitavea came to an end yesterday after her husband, Tui Wainunu Ratu Orisi Baleitavea, 62, was laid to rest at Daria Village in Bua.
The burial was attended by Acting Prime Minister, Minister for Economy and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management and Meteorological Services Inia Seruiratu and Permanent Secretary for Rural and Maritime Development and Natural Disaster Management Meleti Bainimarama, Commissioner Northern Division and senior Government officers. Ms Baleitavea, the Holy Family Primary School canteen lady said that she had asked Ratu Orisi if she could leave her job to spend time looking after him last month.
“He told me that it was up to me, I continued work since he was recovering well after being admitted at the Labasa Hospital for five days,” the mother of six said.
“If I knew he would leave me this early I would have left my job.
“He was having bad cough, fever and suddenly fell down on the bed in the living room of our house in Labasa on September 28.
“When we took him to the hospital the doctor said he had passed away on our way to the hospital.
“I first met him when he was working as a clerical officer at the department of forest in Suva,” she recalled with tears in her eyes. “He was a family man, very humble and full of laughter. “He wanted and planned all our children to have good jobs.
“Our youngest child is in Year 11 at Holy Family Secondary School. “During his last meeting with the vanua, he advised them to stay together, help each other and make use of any development that comes along the way.” Mr Bainimarama said he was a man who never knew the word ‘no’,”
“He never believed in saying ‘no, it can’t be done’ when it came to talking about development projects or helping the people in need,” he said.
“He would make use of every contact and persuade people in authority to get needed projects for his people done.
“I can still vividly remember how he used to talk with full of concern and excitement about certain projects to be done in Bua.
“He will be greatly missed.”