Former Finland Honorary Consul to Tonga ‘Atiloa Fifita Lātū will be remembered at a āpō in Tongatapu this evening.
A farewell prayer service will be held tomorrow morning at 7am before she would be laid to rest at Telekava cemetery. .
Fifita Lātū aged 59 died suddenly last week on March 5.
Prayer services conducted by various groups of friends and kāinga had been ongoing at her residence since her death.
The former renowned business woman’s funeral will be held in her daughter’s home village of ‘Ananā.
It was expected to be attended by family, kāinga, friends and government representatives.
On March 6 Tonga Parliament observed a minute’s silence in memory and honour of Fifita Lātū.
The House was told Fifita Lātū was a member of the diplomatic corps and always attended the Legislative Assembly’s opening and closing sessions as part of her capacity as the consul of Finland in Tonga.
Tributes continued to flow in on social media following her death.
“RIP Adiloa. I will miss your beautiful welcoming smile every time I visit your shop. So humbling that you take the time out of your busy day to catch up. I’m glad I bought my gas stove n oven from you last year. Ko’eku tauhi ‘ofa ia kia koe. You’re home now!” a commentator wrote.
“Rest in Peace Adiloa Fifita Latu …really sad but your in a Good place now pray for us and muj love to you Rita Prema in this difficult times..Love and prayers,” another wrote.
“You are missed by many! Rest in love Adiloa Fifita Mad love to Rita Prema ❤ its not gonna be the same seeing you in the store or where we always bump in to each other !!! Toka ihe nonga moe fiemalie ae EIKI ?? till we meet again on the other side ? you was an beautiful loving Soul inside & out,” another Facebook user wrote.
As Kaniva reported last week, Fifita Lātū owned two One-Stop-shops at One Way road in Nuku’alofa which sold clothing, shoes, fabric, giftware, homeware, hardware and jewellery for more than two decades.
Fifita Lātū was the first person to hold Finland’s honorary consul position in Tonga since 2014.
She is survived by her husband ‘Atonino Lātū and two children from a previous marriage.
She previously married to businessman Naran Prema.
