24/08/2026
*Apologies for the Belated post๐*
RIL P**e Tulisi ๐๐
Loved by many ๐
A special tribute from Pepe Oxford-Lokeni
Today, we farewell you ma P**e. I wanted to share a little bit of a different side of him - not just P**e that many knew through his days as a barber, his league days with Richmond, representing MAGS, and all the other things he accomplished in his life.
I want to remember P**e as our cousin, our Liku warrior, and our own.
Last night, listening to P**e's children get up and speak about their dad was really special. As I listened to each of them, I couldn't help but notice little snippets of P**e in all of them.
The way they spoke, the humour they had, the way they expressed themselves - it reminded me so much of him.
It made me realise that although P**e is no longer here with us, there are pieces of him living on through each of his children.
They carry his humour, his personality, his stories and those little things that make us say, "yep, that's definitely P**e!"
And many of us in the Niuean community, we didn't just know p**e as the man he became, We grew up with him.
Our memories go way back to the 1970s, when we were all young - probably around 5-6yrs old - and one of my favourite memories takes me back to the days when we were living in Kingsland, new North Rd.
My grandmother was our main babysitter while everyone went off to work. One day, P**e and the late aunty Malo (grandmother) came to visit.
We'll, my grandmother and P**e's grandmother decided they were going to walk down to the Kingsland shops.
And if you know Kingsland back then, it was nothing like Kingsland we know today! ๐ There were fruit shops. Vegetable shops and the basics. Definitely not the boujee Kingsland it is now!
So these two grandmothers decided they would leave us kids (me, devs and p**e) at home. They locked us in the room and told us very seriously, "don't open the door for anyone."
Looking back now, I think, that should have been those Oranga Tamariki days!, ๐
But back then, nobody thought twice about it! That was just how things were. Our grandparents had somewhere to go, we were told to stay put, and that was the end of our discussion.! ๐
Of course, as kids, we accepted that this was completely normal.
Those are the memories I will always treasure - the simple days of our childhood, growing up together as cousins and being surrounded by our grandparents and our niuean community.
Another special part of P**e's life for me was our Liku maaga (village).
We would all commute to Hillary, after church where we attended PIC Newton at New Bond Street, and those were special times for us. We sang our Niuean songs, practiced together for white Sunday, and P**e was very much a part of those memories.
P**e was passionate about his niuean culture, and his Niuean speaking was next level - and we can thank our grandparents for the foundation they gave us.
He was never shy about standing up front of people. In fact, P**e could tell a story!
And once P**e started telling a story, you knew you were going to get the full version!๐
The banter we all had with P**e was next level.
That was P**e.
But beyond the laughter and the banter, p**e was also someone who supported family.
I especially remember the support he gave to my brother Devlin Lokeni and help he provided with the MAGS Niuean group.
That showed another side of P**e - his love for his culture, his willingness to support others, and his passion for seeing our people and our young ones do well.
So today, I don't just remember the man everyone knew.
I remember the little boy from the 1970s
I remember the cousin who grew up alongside us.
I remember the liku warrior.
I remember the storyteller.
I remember the laughter, the banter, the niuean songs, the white Sunday practices, the MAGS connection, and the love he had for his culture and his people.
And now, as I look at his children, I can see that P**e's story doesn't end here.
There are pieces of him that will continue through them.
His humour.
His stories.
His strength.
His love.
His culture.
And those little mannerisms that will one day make his children laugh and say, "dad used to do that."
P**e, I am grateful that I got to grow up with you, and despite hardly ever keeping in touch I'm proud to share those childhood memories of you, to have our little kata kataz lol with you to have the banters with you, and to talanoa to mena osi e lalolagi ๐ IYKYK ๐ but most of Om proud to call you my cousin.
Thank you for the memories.
Thank you for the kata kataz ๐คฃ๐คฃ
Thank you for the talanoaz ๐๐
You were, and always be, one of our Liku warriors
"Tu Ke Mau"
Ai Nimo moe Ai Galo a moutolu a koe ma P**e Tulisi
Iehova he vahaloto
Until that Glorious day.
Love you cousin
