Masina’atoa “Sape” Hunkin Magalei

TULA’I I LE AVA MA LE MIGAO

OU TE FAATULOU ATU I LE PAIA MA LE MAMALU O TATOU TAITAI

FAALE-STAKE, FAAPEA LE AU EPIKOPO O LENEI UAROTA, O AO

FAALUPEGA MA ISI EKALESIA UA TATOU AUAI I LENEI SAUNIGA ONA

O LE VALAAU PAIA A LE ATUA I LE USO IA MASINAATOA SAPE

HUNKIN MAGALEI: TULOU TULOUNA LAVA.

UA PAIA MA MAUALUGA LENEI ASO, ONA UA OUTOU TALA MAI AAO

E TATOU MOLIMAUINA FAATASI LE SOIFUAGA O LE TINA IA

MASINAATOA SAPE HUNKIN MAGALEI! E UI E LE IAI SE AGATONU, AE

OU TE FAAFETAI ATU I TATOU AIGA TAU TOTO I LE ITU TAMA, LE ITU

TINA, FAAPEA LE PAIA LE PAOLO MAUALUGA, TAU I LE TAMA IA

TAOFI MAGALEI, AEMAISE AIGA TAU TALALELEI- TULOU, TULOUNA

LAVA.

FAI A’U MA SUI O LE TAMA IA TAOFI MAGALEI MA LE FANAU, FAAPEA

USO MA TUAGANE MA MATOU FANAU, E FAASOA ATU SE TALA I LE

SOIFUAGA O LE USO IA MASINA’ATOA SAPE HUNKIN MAGALEI.

I WAS BARELY 3 YEARS OLD BUT NOTICED SOMETHING VERY

DIFFERENT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN IN OUR SAMOAN FALE, LIT

WITH A KEROSINE LANTERN HUNG IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR

SPACIOUS FALE. EARLIER THAT EVENING, MY GRANDMOTHER AND

MY AUNTIES WERE BUSY HANGING UP SHEETS TO MAKE A

MAKE-SHIFT ROOM IN THE CORNER OF OUR FALE. WE GATHERED

AROUND IN OUR USUAL EXTENDED FAMILY CIRCLE FOR PRAYER,

WHILE AS CHILDREN, WE WERE ANXIOUS TO GET FAMILY PRAYER

DONE, SO WE CAN ENJOY OUR DELICIOUS DINNER OF SAKA AND

FRESH FISH FROM THE OCEAN. EVEN MORE EXCITING, WAS TO GO

OUTSIDE IN OUR YARD TO PLAY HIDE & SEEK OR “IGA VE’A” ON

THAT BEAUTIFUL FULL MOON NIGHT.

ON FULL MOON NIGHTS IN SAMOA IN THOSE YEARS, CHILDREN

WERE ALLOWED TO GO OUT IN THE MALAE TO PLAY “IGA VE’A”

WHILE THE OLDER FOLKS WATCHED FROM THE THEIR FALES AND

CAUGHT UP ON STORIES OF THE WEEK OF THE VILLAGE. IN SAMOA

AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE NO RADIOS, NO TV, NO PHONES IN

THOSE DAYS.

BUT ON THAT NIGHT, WE WERE TOLD WE COULD NOT GO OUTSIDE

TO PLAY “IGA VE’A.

” MY MOTHER WAS TAKEN INTO THE MAKE-SHIFT

ROOM, IN THE CORNER OF OUR FALE, WHILE THE REST OF OUR

FAMILY WAITED FOR HER TO COME OUT FROM BEHIND THOSE

SHEETS. WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT UNTIL A FEW HOURS

LATER, WE HEARD A BABY CRY FROM THE MAKE-SHIFT ROOM, AND

WITHIN MINUTES, ONE OF MY AUNTIES BROUGHT OUT A LARGE

BABY GIRL WRAPPED IN WARM SHEETS - SHE HAD LOTS OF CURLY

HAIR AND BIG ROUND EYES.

IT WAS THE EVENING OF APRIL 23,1948 WHEN MASINA’ATOA SAPE

HUNKIN WAS BORN- THE 4th CHILD OF THE ENI AND TAUALAI

HUNKIN FAMILY - MASINA’ATOA MEANS FULL MOON!

Eulogy for Masina’atoa Magalei

HER NICKNAME “SAPE” EMERGED BECAUSE SHE WAS BORN WITH

A CLUB FOOT- THE WORD SAPE MEANS “NOT STRAIGHT OR

CROOKED.

”

SHE AND I WERE RAISED BY NANNIES WHO WERE OUR OLDER

FIRST COUSINS THAT LIVED WITH US TO HELP MY MOTHER WITH

CHORES AND CARING FOR US CHILDREN. THESE SAMOAN

NANNIES WERE GENERALLY YOUNG, STRONG, AND STRICT WITH

THE STICK~ HOME SOLDIERS!

SAPE AND I WERE NOT AS FORTUNATE AS OUR 2 OLDER SIBLINGS-

ENI FALEOMAVAEGA WAS HANAI OR RAISED BY OUR FATHER’S

PARENTS, AND TUILUAAI, OUR OLDEST SISTER, WAS HANAI BY OUR

MOTHER’S PARENTS—

SAPE WAS THE EXACT “MIDDLE” CHILD WITH 3 OLDER SIBLINGS

BEFORE HER AND 3 YOUNGER SIBLINGS AFTER HER. SHE WAS THE

“BRIDGE”

, THE CHILD THAT CONNECTED 2 DIFFERENT

GENERATIONS. SHE WAS BORN IN 1948-POST WORLD WAR II - A

TIME OF PEACE AND RECOVERY, AND THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW

ERA OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE US- SUCH AS HIGHER WAGES,

LARGER HOUSES, BETTER SCHOOLS, MORE CARS, AND MORE

HOUSEHOLD TECHNOLOGY WHICH INCREASED QUALITY OF LIFE

FOR AMERICANS.

WHEN MY FATHER RETIRED FROM THE NAVY IN 1958, HE AND MY

MOTHER DECIDED TO ACCEPT THE INVITATION FROM MY

MOTHER’S UNCLE AIULU TUFAGA TO SETTLE IN LAIE. MOST OF US

CHILDREN WERE STILL IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ABOUT READY TO

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TRANSITION INTO HIGH SCHOOL. SAPE AND MY YOUNGER

SIBLINGS TAU, ARLENE, AND ALBERT WERE AT LAIE ELEMENTARY

CAMPUS. IN ESSENCE, SAPE WAS EDUCATED HERE IN LAIE BY

TEACHERS WHO WERE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND

MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH. WE ARE ALL GRADUATES OF KAHUKU

HIGH SCHOOL AND BY THE TIME WE GRADUATED, GRATEFULLY,

CHURCH COLLEGE OF HAWAII WAS COMPLETED AND DEDICATED

BY PRESIDENT DAVID O MCKAY! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL EDUCATIONAL

TRANSITION IN A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY!

SAPE GRADUATED FROM KAHUKU HIGH SCHOOL IN 1966- SHE WAS

A CHEERLEADER AT SCHOOL AND EXCELLED IN HER CLASSES.

SHE ALSO HELD ONE OF THE OFFICES OF HER CLASS. SHE

QUICKLY FOLLOWED US OLDER SIBLINGS TO CHURCH COLLEGE OF

HAWAII.

WHILE THE 3 OF US SISTERS ATTENDED CHURCH COLLEGE OF

HAWAII, ENI JR. WAS ALREADY MOVING HIS WAY THROUGH LAW

SCHOOL AT BYU-PROVO.

ONE DAY AS I RETURNED HOME FROM MY CLASSES I WAS

SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT SHE HAD APPLIED TO BYU-PROVO, GOT

ACCEPTED AND WAS READY TO LEAVE HOME TO ATTEND FOR A

YEAR OR SO. I CAN’T REMEMBER IF SHE WENT TO BYU-PROVO TO

ATTEND SCHOOL WITH TAOFI OR NOT BUT I ADMIRED HER

COURAGE TO LEAVE THE SAFETY OF OUR HOME AND COMMUNITY

TO VENTURE OFF TO FURTHER HER EDUCATION IN AN UNKNOWN

TERRAIN FOR ME!

Eulogy for Masina’atoa Magalei

SAPE GRADUATED FROM CHURCH COLLEGE OF HAWAII WITH A

BACHELOR OF EDUCATION AND EVENTUALLY MARRIED TAOFI

MAGALEI, THE LOVE OF HER LIFE, AND SETTLED IN LAIE WHERE

ALL OF THEIR CHILDREN WERE BORN AND RAISED.

OF ALL THE GIRLS IN OUR FAMILY, SAPE WAS THE MOST ATHLETIC-

HER CLUB FOOT ISSUE FROM BIRTH WAS NEVER A CHALLENGE

BECAUSE SHE DID NOT ALLOW IT TO HOLD HER BACK! SHE

EXCELLED IN BASKET BALL, VOLLEY BALL AND HER SPECIALTY

WAS RACKET BALL. SHE WAS THE QUEEN OF RACKET BALL IN

LAIE- I WITNESSED HER ON THE COURT WHILE SHE WHIPPED MALE

RACKET BALL PLAYERS!

WHEN SHE VISITED ME IN AM SAMOA IN 1974, I WAS TRYING TO

COMPLETE MY MASTER’S PAPER THROUGH THE BYU-PROVO

GRADUATE PROGRAM. I ASKED HER DURING HER VISIT TO REVIEW

MY DRAFT AND HELP EDIT IT. I WAS IMPRESSED WITH HER EDITING

SKILLS AND THE LEVEL OF HER ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY.

SHE WAS ALREADY A TEACHER AT LAIE SCHOOL.

SAPE HAD A “CONNECTING IMPACT” PERSONALITY - THAT IS, SHE

WAS A LOVING PERSON WITH PATIENCE AND SUPPORT, BUT SHE

WAS ALSO A DIRECT AND NO NONSENSE TYPE PERSON AS WELL.

AFTER HAVING ARRIVED HERE IN HAWAII JUST THIS PAST TUESDAY,

I TOLD MY DAUGHTER MABEL AND FAMILY, I WOULD LIKE TO STAY

IN LAIE AND TAKE PART IN THE FAMILY GATHERINGS THIS WEEK

BEFORE THE FUNERAL SERVICES. EACH EVENING AT SAPE &

TAOFI’S HOUSE ON MOANA STREET, FRIENDS, FAMILIES,

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NEIGHBORS, WARD MEMBERS, AND SPECIAL

GROUPS/ASSOCIATIONS CAME TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS, AND

SHARE THEIR CONDOLENCES & FEELINGS ABOUT SAPE AND HER

FAMILY.

THE MOST COMMON WORDS SPOKEN BY ALMOST ALL THE

GROUPS WHO CAME TO THE MAGALEI HOME OVER THE LAST 3

DAYS WAS HOW SAPE “IMPACTED” “INFLUENCED” OR “CHANGED”

THEIR LIVES. THE IMPACT SAPE HAD WAS FELT BY INDIVIDUALS AS

WELL AS GROUPS- SUCH AS THE LAIE BOYS, LAIE GIRLS,

RACKETBALL PLAYERS, WARD PRIMARY TEACHERS. THEY WERE

HIGHLY INFLUENCED BY THE WORDS AND THE DEEDS SAPE AND

HER FAMILY PERFORMED FOR THEM.

WHERE DID SAPE LEARN TO DO THIS–THAT IS - TO HAVE SUCH AN

IMPACT OR INFLUENCE ON SO MANY PEOPLE IN LAIE OVER THE

YEARS?

SAPE CAME FROM A FAMILY WHO WERE FIRST GENERATION

CONVERTS OF THE CHURCH, WHICH ALL BEGAN HERE IN LAIE IN

1956. SAPE, ENI JR., TUI, AND I WERE THE FIRST MEMBERS OF OUR

FAMILY TO JOIN THE CHURCH. BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I TESIFY

TO YOU THAT THE GOSPEL WAS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT

GAME-CHANGER IN OUR LIVES. AS AN IMMIGRANT FAMILY FROM

AM SAMOA, BLESSED WITH A SHORT 10 YEAR MILITARY FAMILY

LIFE, AND THEN RAISED IN LAIE, SURROUNDED BY HAUULA AND

KAHUKU, EDUCATED AT CHURCH COLLEGE OF HAWAII AND

BEYOND, THE KEY CORNERSTONE IN OUR LIVES THAT ALL OF YOU

Eulogy for Masina’atoa Magalei

HAVE WITNESSED AND TESTIFIED IN AND FROM SAPE WAS A

DIRECT REFLECTION OF THE IMPACT OF THE GOSPEL IN HER LIFE

AS WELL AS OUR WHOLE HUNKIN FAMILY LIFE AND THE LIFE SHE

BUILT WITH HER LOVING HUSBAND, CHILDREN, AND

GRANDCHILDEN.

SAPE EMBRACED THE GOSPEL- SHE LIVED AND SHARED THE

GOSPEL WITH HER HUSBAND TAOFI MAGALEI AND THEIR

CHILDREN. SAPE WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER BUT ALSO HELD RELIEF

SOCIETY, PRIMARY AND YOUNG WOMEN TEACHER CALLINGS THAT

HAVE A REAL IMPACT THROUGH TEACHING GOSPEL PRINCIPLES

TO YOUNG MINDS. FOR MANY YEARS, SHE SPENT MUCH OF HER

TIME DOING TEMPLE WORK WITH TAOFI AS WELL, SHARING HER

LOVE WITH ANYONE AND EVERYONE SHE WOULD COME ACROSS

IN THE LORD’S HOUSE AS WELL.

THANK YOU TAOFI, CHILDREN, AND GRANDCHILDREN FOR LOVING

AND TAKING CARE OF MY SISTER MASINAATOA SAPE HUNKIN

MAGALEI. IN ADDITION I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO ALL

THE LAIE/KAHUKU/HAU’ULA FAMILIES FOR SHARING YOUR LOVE

WITH MY SISTER SAPE AND HER FAMILY OVER THESE MANY YEARS

AS FRIENDS, FAMILIES, NEIGHBORS, WARD AND STAKE MEMBERS

AS WELL.

I TESTIFY THAT THE GOSPEL IS TRUE, THAT OUR SAVIOR LIVES,

THAT OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN HAS PLANNED OUR ETERNAL

HAPPINESS IF WE BUT FOLLOW HIM.

Eulogy for Masina’atoa Magalei

I KNOW THAT MY SISTER SAPE IS WITH MY PARENTS, MY

BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE HER TO THE

OTHER SIDE OF THE VEIL, AND THAT THEY ARE HAPPY TO RECEIVE

HER THERE.

IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, AMEN.

Masina’atoa “Sape” Hunkin Magalei. Born in Vailoatai, American Samoa on a full moon night, April 23, 1948 to Eni and Taualai Hunkin. Graduated from Kahuku High School and furthered her education at Brigham Young University Hawaii and Brigham Young Provo. She received her Masters Degree in Education from Phoenix University and worked as a student counselor at Kahuku Elementary School. She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Taofi Magalei Sr. and two of her four children, Kristal Filiaga and Nainoa Magalei, her seven grandchildren, Sanaa, Tyler, Ariana, Michelè, Eternity, Tre, Deuce.