He maimai aroha kia Dr Te Kei Merito

HE AITUA

Taku manawa e kakapa nei, e kakapa ana ki te rā, ki ngā whetū, ki te marama Ka tau kei raro kei te rua Katahi au ka kite I te he!

Katahi au ka kite i te mate

Ko taku tau kahurangi tēnei kua riro ki tua o Paerau Ki te huihuinga o te kahurangi, ka oti koe e koro

Ki te pō uriuri, ki te pō tangotango

He tira haukore kua riro ki te wahangūtanga i te kore I whatia iho ai te kuru o te marama, tau kei raro koe!

Kua hinga a DR TE KEI O TE WAKA WILSON MERITO

Koro Te Kei passed away today (26th September 2023) at home in Rotorua, surrounded by his loving whanau. His darling wife Anne Marie Merito (nee Marcus) at his side. He was 89 years.

Te mātāmua o ngā tamariki a Parati Eru Merito rāua ko Mamaeroa Merito (nee Meihana). Nā ōna tīpuna nā Te Pura rāua ko Warito Wātarawī a ia i whakatangata.

Te mokopuna a Eru Merito (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Manawa, Tuhourangi) rāua ko Parepikiao Merito (Ngāti Māhanga, Te Arawa). Te mokopuna hoki a Hone Meihana (Ngāti Pūkeko) rāua ko Hana Meihana (nee Rewi) (Ngāpuhi)

Te pāpā atawhai o Darren conrad Rangi Merito (deceased), Lorraine Antoinette Merito - Freed (deceased), me Tracy Mamaeroa Merito Koroua, tipuna o ana mokopuna, tuarua kua mahue mokemokenei.

Te tuakana, tungāne ki a Phillip Hapi, Kaperiere Mokeke (Dooley), Elizabeth, Georgina Horiana, Donny, Makarena (Pato), Celia Hiria me Ritihia Emelda.
He karangarua, matua kēkē, hoa pūmau, tamatoa o Tūmatauenga ka ngaro nei.

Nō reira e Koro, te manu whakatakapōkai o tō iwi.

Hoki mai e manu ki te mauri o tō waka a Mātaatua ki Pūtauaki ko Ngāti Awa ki Tāwhiuau ko Tangiharuru ki Te Rae o Koohi ko Awatope ki Te Manukatūtahi ki Whakatāne ko Apanui ki te mauri ra i heria mai nei hei whakaara i taku moe e ko koia e ara e!

Dr Te Kei Merito

Qualifications: MNZM, D.MD (Hon. Causa)

Iwi: Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pukeko

Dr Te Kei Merito (Hon. Causa) is widely acknowledged for his cultural pūkenga (expertise), mātauranga (knowledge) of tikanga and kawa and mastery in oratory skills in both te reo Māori and English.

In 1959 he joined the New Zealand Army serving twenty-five years, achieving the highest rank for a non-commissioned Officer as Warrant Officer First Class and Regimental Sergeant Major for the 6th (Hauraki) Infantry Battalion. After his retirement from the Army, Dr Merito worked in various roles for the Department of Labour’s Tauranga District; Whakatāne District Council and the Department of Conservation. He has held leadership and governance positions, as Chair and Deputy Chair of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa; hapū delegate to Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa for Ngāti Rangatua; Chair of Te Kōmiti Taiao o Ngāti Awa and Chair of the Rūrima Islands Trust. He was Chair of Te Tapa-toru ā-Toi and President of Te Arawa Māori Returned Services League. He has made many contributions to kaitiakitanga within the takiwā of Ngāti Awa and throughout the Bay of Plenty.

In 2017, Dr Merito became a member of the Order of Merit for his services to Māori and conservation. In September 2020, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Māori Development in recognition of his leadership and lifetime of dedicated service to his tribes, to Māori, to education, to the Māori language and to the environment.

Dr Merito was a member of Te Mana Whakahaere o Awanuiārangi from 2009 to September 2020. In October 2020, he was appointed to Te Taumata Matanga.