Lae Secondary says goodbye to longest-serving teacher

STUDENTS and teachers of Lae Secondary School paid their final respects to their friend, colleague and teacher Koma Kukari during her funeral service on Friday at the Christian Revival church at 2-Mile.
It was an emotional ceremony for current and former students who came to know late Mrs Kukari, as a very special friend – a spiritual mother.
“She was so humble and was always there to help students to strengthen their spiritual lives and also to help them to be good students in the school,” one student said.
Many of the students who attended the funeral came to know Mrs Kukari personally through her involvement with the student’s Tertiary Student’s Christian Fellowship (TSCF) in the school.
“She was very supportive of TSCF and her contribution, advice and example had changed a lot of students, and her passing really got us by surprise,” another student said.
Mrs Kukari taught at Lae Secondary school for 12 years and was one of the longest serving teachers at the school.
She graduated from the University of Papua New Guinea (Goroka Teachers Colleage) in 1982.
All her colleagues spoke highly of her saying “she was such a humble person who had a big heart for students”.
She died last Sunday afternoon, aged 48, at her village in Sapa, in the Morobe patrol post after suffering from an illness.
Her body was finally laid to rest yesterday at the village.