Educator, business leader dies

THE founder of Port Moresby-based Human Development Institute, Samuel Tam who is affectionately known by many as “Papa Sam”, died in his office on Tuesday morning.
Son Alexis Tam told The National yesterday that Papa Sam walked into his office in Six-Mile in Port Moresby at 7.30am and about an hour later his staff found him dead.
“He was taken to the Paradise Pacific Hospital but despite efforts by doctors to revive him, he was gone,” Alexis said yesterday.
Papa Sam has touched thousands of lives and following the news of his death, his staff and family have been receiving a flood of messages and expressions of shock at the news.
Papa Sam has devoted a good part of his life teaching and mentoring Papua New Guineans to succeed in business and life generally.
He was born in Rabaul in 1948 and attended the Scott College in Warwick, Queensland, along with other Papua New Guineans.
After only a year at the Queensland University, he returned home to Rabaul.
The family, like other expatriates affected by World War 2, were greatly assisted by the Tolai people.
Papa Sam has always held a special place in his heart for the people of Rabaul for that.
He moved from Rabaul to Port Moresby in 1968 and worked in a customs clearance and transport business.
From 1969 to 1994, he ran a string of successful retail, wholesale and manufacturing businesses.
In 1974, he founded the Stret Pasin Stoa Scheme with the Development Bank which helped Papua New Guineans acquire retail businesses around the country.
He was captain of the gold medal winning PNG squash team to the 1983 South Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa.
His personal fortune took a bad turn in 1994 and his lost his business.
Alexis said that had set him on new path to find himself and consequently he founded the Entrepreneurial Development and Training Centre, now the Human Development Institute.
Since its launching on Sept 16, 1996, over 40,000 Papua New Guineans have attended Papa Sam’s Personal Viability (PV) training programme.
Former moderator of the United Church of PNG, Rev Sir Samson Lowa described PV as the gospel in practical application.
PV has also reached people other parts of the world.
“Here was a man who died doing what he loved,” Alexis said.
He said Papa Sam had achieved much in his life but left with achieving his single biggest dream – that of setting up a grassroots university to train more Papua New Guineans to be successful in life and business.
“I hope to fulfil that dream of his but, a friend told me yesterday his are very big shoes to fill, being a educator and business leader.”
Samuel Tam is survived by his wife, three sons and a sister.
His funeral service will be held next Tuesday at the Rev Sione Kami Memorial Church in Port Moreby, starting at 9.30am.