PUANAKI, Tiki Te Aroha(Richard)
HE AITUĀ
Richard Tiki Te Aroha Puanaki
19/01/1949 – 20/04/2021
He mihi whānui rawa
E te whānau, ngā whanaunga
Tuakana, teina, tamariki
Tātou Te Whare o Puanaki
Mate atu tētēkura, ka ara mai tētēkura e
(Rihari Puanaki, 2021)
It
is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of our Puanaki
whānau patriarch, Rihari (Dick) Puanaki. Known and loved by so many
people across Aotearoa and the world, Rihari gave so much to his whānau,
communities and kaupapa. From captivating audiences as an actor,
tutoring kapa haka, composing waiata (including Ka Waiata), being a
teacher and principal, to even almost becoming a priest, and everything
else in between, Rihari led a colourful and vibrant life and touched
many lives!
Equally as colourful is Rihari’s many
whakapapa links. At the risk of missing out naming any one of those many
important hononga, what I will write is that Rihari took great pride to
learn and share our whānau whakapapa. Indeed, Rihari’s reputable
whakapapa credentials covers the breadth of the motu. However, he was
predominantly raised in his Kahungunu rohe in Wairoa, Hawkes Bay, where
he lived and worked right through to his last days.
As
one of his sons, I knew Rihari by his most important role, being pāpā.
Rihari provided love and shelter for many whānau and friends, and in
recent years he took on the role of raising twins Naomi and Boh Clair
and being Karani Pāpā (grandfather). Rihari enjoyed the close
relationship with his brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. Rihari’s
love knew no bounds. On a personal note, dad’s deeply held values,
ethics, morals and convictions, stemming from his lifelong commitment to
the Catholic faith, will be his enduring legacy.
E kore
e pahawa i ēnei whārangi ruarua nei te nui o tō ātārangi nāna nei i
whakamarumaru te tini me te mano, reanga atu, reanga mai. Engari tērā te
ātārangi o te Atua te whakamarumaru nei i a koe, ā haere ake nei. Moe
mai rā i te mate pukupuku-koretanga o te pō, e taku pāpā, e te
poutokomanawa o Te Whare o Puanaki. Kua mutu tō whawhai.
**DETAILS OF TANGIHANGA**
Rihari will be taken to Tawhiti-a-Maru marae on Wednesday afternoon, 21 April and will lie in St Theresa’s Church.
• Address for Tawhiti-a-Maru is 24 Ruataniwha Rd, Wairoa.
Rihari
will have his final service on Friday 23 April, at 11am, St Peters
Parish, followed by burial and hākari back at the St Peters Parish hall.
• Address for St Peters Parish is 64 Queen St, Wairoa
For further information, please contact our whānau spokesperson – Ginnie Mikara
027 241 1132
In you wish to send any letters or whakaaro, please send to
• 87 Campbell St, Wairoa, 4108
E kore e māhitihiti te aroha i te wā
Ānō te whāroa, ānō te hīrere
o Te Wairoa Hōpūpū Hōnengenenge Mātangi Rau
E tere nei e