The Rotorua local who dedicated her life to the Māori health system died on Friday morning. Photo / File
Renowned Māori health leader Ngaroma Grant, also known as Mala, has died after a battle with cancer.
The Rotorua local who dedicated her life to the Māori health system died on Friday morning.
Te Tatau o Te Arawa, a Te Arawa representative group that Grant deputy chaired, announced the loss on Friday.
It shared the news was with "great sadness", acknowledging the death of a "loving friend".
"A wonderful, humble and generous woman, we are very sad she is no longer with us in body, but we know in spirit she will be."
Grant was best known for her leadership of Te Arawa Whānau Ora over the past decade, a Māori health and social service provider with te ao Māori approach.
Only weeks before her death, Grant sat down with the Rotorua Daily Post to reflect on her life.
She highlighted how her nursing career had been the "love of her life".
Her training began in Rotorua in 1973, she was registered in 1976 and later did a short stint overseas.
She said it was clear to her from that point on there was nothing as satisfying as serving her "own people", meaning the people of Te Arawa and Tikanga Māori had "totally shaped" her work over the years.
Her roles included leading Korowai Aroha Health Centre, Māori health services at the Lakes District Health Board and public health at Tūwharetoa Ki Kawerau Health Services.
Alongside her leadership at Te Arawa Whānau Ora, she was also chairwoman of Healthy Families Rotorua, deputy chair of the national Family Violence Death Review Committee, chairwoman of the New Zealand Institute of Health Management's Lakes branch and long-serving member of the national council and much more.
Just last month, she was awarded a top honour in New Zealand health management.
Grant's mihi was heavily Rotorua based with connections to Ngāti Pikiao hapū Ngāti Hinerangi and Te Takinga at Lake Rotoiti, and Matawahaura, her mountain.
She will lay at Taheke Opatia Marae in Okere Falls. A funeral celebration will take place tomorrow at 11am.
Fire and Emergency investigators believe the house fire was caused by fireworks.