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A Pacific legend passes away

Faleomavaega during the 2014 Flag Day celebration. [SN file photo]
fili@samoanews.com

Former Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin, American Samoa’s longest serving non-voting Delegate to the U.S House of Representatives, passed away today, Feb. 22, at his home in Provo, Utah,  according to a family member, speaking on behalf of Faleomavaega’s widow, Hinanui Hunkin.

Faleomavaega “passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family and a few close friends,” said Theresa Hunkin, Faleomavaega’s sister-in-law, in a telephone interview this afternoon from Provo.

Faleomavaega, a Democrat, was unseated in the 2014 congressional race by Aumua Amata Radewagen, a Republican.

In the US House, Faleomavaega was a member of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on Natural Resources.  As a member of the foreign affairs committee, he had traveled to foreign countries as a congressional representative and was well known as an ambassador for the Pacific.  However, at home he received  criticism for travel abroad instead of concentrating on issues pertaining to American Samoa.

See tomorrow’s edition for details.