It has been a year since Papali’itele Peter Fatialofa was called home.
But his work of love and giving will be remembered by many people for years and years to come.
For the students of Avele College, former principal, Lafaitele Aiga Esera, says they will never forget the man she fondly refers to as Fatialofa.
“His name is Fatialofa and I translate it to Tune of Love,” Lafaitele says.
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“His tune is being sung and will always be heard…gone out of sight but never out of mind.”
Recalling a school rugby trip to Japan in 2007, Lafaitele says Fats made a memorable donation.
As the Team Manager, Lafaitele told the students that the first person who makes a donation, whether it would be $20 or $100,it will be brought back to Samoa as their thanksgiving gift.
“We were in Fiji and I received a call from the receptionist that a man wanted to speak with me,” recalled the former principal of Avele.
“It was Fatialofa and he had wanted to meet the team.We planned to meet him for dinner on that day. So after our dinner on that night, Fatialofa passed on an envelope saying he didn’t have much to give as he was on his way to attend his mother’s birthday.”
When Lafaitele opened the envelope, she was surprised that Fatialofa had given NZ$500 to assist their team on the trip.
“His donation that day was a very special one that I will always remember,” she said.
“The money could have been for his mother’s birthday but he offered to help us with NZ$500…many words go unspoken but no good deed goes unnoticed.”
Remembering what she told the team about the first donation, she asked them if they had remembered what she had said.
“Most of them didn’t want to tell me what I had told them because they wanted to use the money but one student stood up and said what I had mentioned to them before the trip.
“So that donation from Fatialofa was a very special one for us as it was the first and that money was returned home. Half of it was given to the National Council of Churches and the other half went to the Carmelite sisters at Vailima.It was our thanksgiving gift and Fatialofa was the one who gifted it.”
Lafaitele said she would always remember Fats for his unconditional love to the people of Samoa whom he had loved and cherished.
On the day of Fats funeral, Lafaitele said she felt guilty that she didn’t get to share a wonderful story about Fatialofa. She said there were many eulogies from loved ones and those that knew him but she did not get the chance to tell her story of him. This is a poem Lafaitele wrote about Fatialofa:
Tune of love being sung and always be heard
Gone out of sight but never out of mind
For the great service done in life
Many words go unspoken,
Many thoughts go unheard,
But no good deed goes unnoticed
Especially for those who help so much.
Fa’afetaiFatialofa for living your name
The tune of Love.
Fatialofa’s life was the subject of much celebration in Samoa this week. It started on Thursday night at Conrad and Celine Keil’s place at Vaitele. On Friday, it moved to the Le Penina Golf Course.
Yesterday, Sinalei Reef Resort hosted a private function featuring Ardijah as special guests.
Rest in love, Fats!
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