Lawmakers are still trying to come to terms with the recent passing of their colleague Representative Lemapu Suiaunoa Talo from Masefau, Sua County #2, who passed away Wednesday afternoon at the LBJ hospital.

According to his close friends, Lemapu was admitted to the hospital a few days after the November 4th election. He was in a coma and remained at the hospital until his passing this week. An educator by profession, in a previous legislature Lemapu chaired the House Education Committee.

Lemapu would have been serving his fourth term as faipule.

Tualauta faipule Larry Sanitoa expressed sorrow at losing a distinguished colleague, noting “Representative Lemapu and I entered the Fono the same time to serve our respective districts in 2009. I have come to know him as a very humble man, effective and a intelligent legislator full of love and pride for his village of Masefau and especially his beloved district.”

Sanitoa said it had truly been a privilege and honor for him to have worked alongside him on several important pieces of legislation benefiting their respective districts and the territory.

“My thoughts and prayers are with wife his Sima, the children, his family and his beloved district,” said Sanitoa.

The other Tualauta faipule, Vui Florence Saulo labeled Lemapu as a true servant of the people saying he was man who loved his District dearly and never forgot why he was in the Fono. “I have always admired him for his fighting spirit to improve the lives of his constituents as well as the overall welfare of the people of American Samoa. His many years as an educator became evident during his time in the Fono as he was a firm believer in the improvement of education in all areas, especially when it came to the health and well-being of the children”

In 2012 Lemapu sponsored a bill to increase the age at which females may marry. He said at the time the current age of 14 was enacted in 1962, but times have changed since then and that is the reason he introduced the amendment. He said 14-years of age is too young to be married because the youngster’s mind is not yet mature enough to make the many decisions faced by a mother in caring for a young infant.

The bill did not make it out of committee.

“It was an honor and a pleasure to have had the chance to know and to work with him.  He was a great colleague and a dear friend. He will be missed greatly by all who knew him,” Vui said. 

Samoa News expresses deepest condolences to the mourning family.