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Samoa's former Minister of Education passes away

Former Minister of Education, To’omata Alapati To’omata, has passed away.He was 64.According to his wife, Matalena To’omata, he passed away peacefully at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital at 5:30am on Easter Sunday from lung cancer.He was diagnosed in January with the disease and in February was flown to New Zealand for treatment.To’omata was informed by the medical specialist there that there would be no use in having either an operation or chemotherapy. But having terminal cancer did nothing to change him being himself, said Mrs. To’omata.He was at peace right up to his last breath, she said. She spoke dearly of her husband but confessed that he was very much misunderstood by many people who didn’t know him very well.She said his “staunch” stare always left many thinking he was unapproachable. But she claims that this was “just To’omata and who he was”.“Toomata is really tough,” she said. But beneath the exterior and behind “the tough face – is the real To’omata – is a humble person that had a loving heart who was honest.”He treated his children in a similar way. “When they approach him for something, they would first be told off and then they are given what they wanted,” she said. To’omata was a quiet man who was very straight forward.“This often had people misunderstanding his reaction towards them at first meeting”, she said. “He wasn’t the kind of person that talked too much. In fact when they have family meetings, To’omata would allow his children the opportunity to express their views and he always spoke last.“It was his discipline that led to their children being very successful. “He is very tough with our children,” she said. “Even when he died, my children asked if he said anything about them but he didn’t say anything.“I think he knew that he was done and that he had done what he could for us and it was our turn to take over from here onwards.” She expressed gratitude to those on the Acute 7 ward’s medical team and nurses.“He was well looked after”. Mrs. To’omata said that after her husband was diagnosed with cancer “and it is such an ugly word” she knew that it would eventually lead to this. “It was only the will of God and a miracle that could bring him back but as a human being you know that eventually it all leads to death.” As a believer in miracles “I kept praying for a miracle but it’s the will of God and I can’t say no”.