Manuia lau malaga Asiata

Today we mourn the passing of Dr Asiata Sale'imoa Va'ai. His mother Fotu Va'ai and my father Vavae Toma are brother and sister. So my memory of Asiata is someone who is always there at the family gatherings of the Toma-Aeoainuu families from Sato'alepai and Sapapali'i. He was there when my mother passed away. He was there when my brother Toma passed away. He was there when my father Vavae passed away.
I also had the opportunity to have a meal and a few laughs with Asiata and his children when him and Sina were undertaking studies at the Australian National University. I was attending a Nursing conference in Canberra.
Then we caught up a couple of times, when he attended the wedding of his niece Luthera McNeeley to Owen Johnston in Brisbane and again when he was in Brisbane to talk about his then newly published book - Samoa Fa'amatai and the Rule of Law. At the time I had also completed my own compilation - Tusitusiga o le Talalelei e Vavae Toma, and so we did a "free exchange".
Last, I want to say that whilst it is only at a few occasions that I ccme in contact with Asiata, it seemed like he was there every time I come across the writings of many many scholars who have referred and found useful his writings on Samoa-Fa'amatai and the rule of Law.
Alu ia. Ia manuia lau malaga. Alofa atu ia Fotu,Va'ai, Vavae, Fo'i, Toma ma i latou uma o fa'atalitali mai i le "fanua lafulemu" ua saunia e lo tatou Matai alofa. Tofa Asiata.

O Meripa ma matou uma i lalo nei