He was also pivotal in resurrecting club and representative rugby league in the district in 2004 after a long recess.
Although he became the man many people knew, he was a life member of the Mongrel Mob, though not an active member. But this part of his life helped as it was a way he could connect with others who went down the same path.
He wasn’t afraid to work alongside gangs, police and other organisations wanting to keep the community safe.
Tuta was a connector of people, someone who could make things happen to help people. If he didn’t know somebody who could help, he would put a call out to see who could.
He wanted to help change the world one person at a time.
He is survived by his five children — Hohepa, Anaru, Vanessa, Munokoa and Matariki Ngarimu — and his seven mokopuna who he called his mokotaonga, his treasures.
He was the son of Joe and Maxine Ngarimu and brother of Tony, Maria and Cam.
The day Tuta died was a special day, Munokoa said.
It was his mokotaonga, Piripi Haapu’s first day of kura kaupapa at Horouta Wānanga, and Tuta made sure he was there to send him off for the pohiri and to pick him up when he finished for the day.
“It was a really special moment for him. He was just smiling from ear to ear,” she said.
Along with that, Matariki and Munokoa were meant to get a ta moko done at Toihoukura, but in the end only Matariki had it done.
“It was a magical day. He was holding my hand through it and taking all the pain away. Thinking about it now, we were all brought together,” Matariki said.
She was speaking to Hohepa over the phone while she got her ta moko.
The whānau all spent the afternoon together, then around midnight, Tuta gasped for air, Munokoa said.
Emergency services tried to resuscitate him for over an hour but were unsuccessful.
The whānau thank all those who came to help during that time as it was the early hours of the morning.
By Tuesday, plans had been made for a service at Evans Chapel in Gisborne before taking him up to his marae, Whareponga, where the tangi would take place.
It was standing room only at the service at Evans’ and over 450 people attended the last day of his tangi in Whareponga.
A lot of whānau from Waiheke Island attended.
“There were so many different people from all across the country who came to farewell him. It showed all the people he loved and all the people he had touched with his mahi,” Munokoa said.
They were grateful to everyone who gave a koha, or donated their time and energy to help with the tangi.
There were people from the NZ P Pull movement, Nati 4 Life trust, people who he worked with in different kaupapa and his brothers from the Mongrel Mob and Black Power.
Along with this, Tuta’s Facebook page has been flooded with posts that show different parts of his life with many sharing their personal stories about their relationship with Tuta. The whānau said they find comfort in these posts.
One special moment the whānau thinks about is his 60th birthday last year. Munokoa organised a surprise birthday party and didn’t tell anyone what was happening. To Tuta’s shock, his son Hohepa came over from Australia for the occasion.
“He was so happy, it was such a magical moment for him,” Munokoa said.
Hohepa has lived in Australia for the past 11 years and has two sons.
Tuta was often at the forefront of organising events that brought awareness to issues whānau were facing in Tairāwhiti.
He created walk-in support nights for anyone dealing with a P addiction. This initiative grew and was set up in Uawa/Tolaga Bay as well, and he would travel to Tokomaru Bay to host nights there, too. He was always wanting to help people get off P.
He also started Manaaki Moves Trust which focused on helping whānau with housing or other social issues. He was also an original member of Ka Pai Kaiti.
Tuta also won a Tauawhi Man of the Year award.
Matariki said the first Nāti 4 Life concert in Ruatorea in 2015 is a memory she will cherish forever.
The concert was a way for the community to take a moment to reflect, heal and be aware of the impact of suicide not just on whānau, but the whole community.
“I had a job there helping the nannies sell the T-shirts, or just being Dad’s water boy going around getting him water. Getting that message out was so important.”
Anaru said: “Dad had the most genuine pure unconditional love — a non-judgmental way of adapting to any situations and always finding the solutions. (He was) a real life super hero in my eyes.
“Dad was that guy who whānau sent their kids (our cousins) over to live with because they would be playing up and misbehaving. So they would come do a lag at our house and be set on the right path,” he said.
Hohepa said he was so inspired by his father that he now works to help youth in Australia and is also involved in the union movement, making sure workers are getting what they are entitled to.
“His commitment to the youth and wanting to help people really inspired me to do this. He is the person I want to be,” Hohepa said.
Along with these kaupapa, Hohepa says the best thing about Tuta was that he was the best father figure.
“Watching him raise us, I’ve seen a different dad over time and no matter what, he was always the best father figure.
“I want to be the same, too, for my sons. I want to be the best father I can be for them.”
Hohepa said the changes Tuta made in his life to be the man he became were inspirational.
“He was never biased; he never judged anyone. He could associate with all sorts of people.”
He was political, spiritual, educated and experienced.
Last year he graduated from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi with a Masters degree in Māori Studies and was working towards his doctorate.
“Yes they may be big shoes to fill, but if everyone comes together and works together we can fill those shoes and accomplish the end goal,” Hohepa said.
“To all the whānau and everyone else he has touched — we have to be together, be present and take his teachings and lessons, appreciate them and practise them daily.
“I know that we can do this together and move forward because that’s what he would have wanted. He wouldn’t want us to grieve to the point where we can’t carry on,” he said.
Some advice from the whānau to all those who will work to keep his legacy alive through different kaupapa is to always think about his voice, his laugh, ask “what would Tuta do?” and “kia kaha”.
Moe mai ra rangatira.
