“But he always had time for his children and for his mokopuna and the wider whānau.
“He was a kaumātua as well and a lot of people depended on him for support and his knowledge.”
Mate said he was a loving father and grandfather.
As a tribute, at the time of his death, all the schools in the district closed, and teachers paid their respects by lining the route as he was taken to the urupa at Tuhourangi Marae near Pah Rd.
“We were so overwhelmed at that, it was very special,” said Mate.
“It was a very sad time for us as well, but also a very proud time for us as a whānau, to see all the love and support that was shown to him on his tangihanga.”
At the award presentation, nephew Tony Wihapi said his uncle was a man of faith and a man of God.
He said Manu seemed to be doing more and more at a time when others would have been slowing down and perhaps taking it easy as they grew older.
He thanked the creative forum for the honour it had bestowed “on a man who was of both Tapuika and Waitaha iwi” and said the award also reflected on both iwi.
Michael Jones, who nominated Manu for the award before his death, said he believed there was no more deserving person “for all he has done for our town”.
“He is the first tangata whenua to receive the award,” he said.
“He made such a contribution in so many areas and was a wonderful citizen, not just for tangata whenua, but also for our town. He set a standard that we should admire and aspire to.”
Te Puke Creative Forum chairwoman Lisa Stowell said Manu is sadly missed, but warmly remembered.
In 2017 Manu was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for services to Māori. At the time he said he was humbled to be recognised for something he got so much enjoyment from doing.
“Our whānau was just overwhelmed with pride for our father and koro on receiving such an awesome award for his services to the community.
“We are really blown away and very happy for him, but sad at the same time as he’s not here to receive it himself.”
The award honours the memory of the late Lorna Treloar who devoted many years to community service in the Te Puke district. A founding member of the Creative Te Puke Forum and a long-serving chairwoman, she was a driving force behind many community beautification projects in Te Puke.
Her public service included 15 years as an elected representative on the Te Puke Community Board. She was chairwoman for two terms, and her final three-year stint was as a Western Bay of Plenty District councillor.
She stood down in 2007 at the age of 74 after serving as a tireless advocate for the interests of Te Puke, and died the following year.
