Dad dies on morning of Leroy’s wedding day

People

By FOLKEN WAKO
THE sudden passing away of his dad on Sunday morning failed to stop Leroy Nosi from going ahead with his wedding as he and dad John had been planning for some time.
In fact he had been concerned about his dad’s health last week.
“Looking at his health, I asked him if I could postpone the wedding. But he wanted it to proceed as planned because he always wanted his family to be happy. He was looking forward to my wedding day, to hold my hands and walk me to receive my bride.”
Leroy is a pastor of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. He married Jevanel Jack on Sunday.
“It was a day of celebration but we were also heartbroken because we had just lost him. My wedding day was celebrated with some sadness.”
Leroy is the eldest in a family of four born to John from Aitape-Lumi district in West Sepik and Leah from Okapa district in Eastern Highlands. His three siblings are Leona, Laura and Kaycee.
The whole family was gathered at home in Port Moresby last weekend for the wedding. No one expected their father to leave them that morning.
Leroy graduated with a Bachelor in Theology at the Pacific Adventist University in 2016. He worked as an intern minister looking after the churches at Erima, Faule Memorial, Wildlife, Kipo and Daima.

“ His sudden death on the most important day of my life I will never forget.”

The Moresby Northeast Zone in the Central Papua Conference comes under Pastor Kempol Kep. After Leory was ordained, he was given the two churches at Kipo and Daima to look after.
He met Jevanel at the Faule Memorial SDA church. Their families were preparing for their wedding last Sunday. Dad John who had been sick insisted that the ceremony must go ahead. He wanted to see his eldest son get married.
Everything was in place and finalised last Saturday. Leroy was tired but excited. He was woken up around 1am Sunday by his mother calling from the Port Moresby General Hospital.
“She wanted me to meet them at the hospital. My dad had difficulty breathing.”
When Leroy arrived, he noticed that his dad was in pain and struggling to breathe.
“I didn’t want him to suffer so I asked God in prayer to put him to rest.”
Dad John passed away at 3am. The family members were informed that it was his wish that the wedding must proceed as planned. It was conducted by Pastor Simon Vetali at the Faule Memorial Church.
“His sudden death on the most important day of my life I will never forget.”
Mum Leah tried her best to be strong for her son on his big day.
“I missed my husband and I felt down and lonely to stand alone there on our son’s wedding day. I did not have the courage but I had to stand up for our son. I just had to be strong and face that day.”
It was a day of mixed emotions. A family member departs, and a new family begins. A consolation of some sort. But as devout Christians, they are comforted by the belief that they will all meet again on that glorious morning.