Late Peni Mendi’s hero

THE late Antony Peni was a resident of Mendi all his life.
He taught me in Grade One in 1970 at Kumin Primary School.
He was about 35 at the time.
I heard years later that he continued to teach at the same school.
He had continued to live in Mendi to my astonishment.
He never returned to his native Manus but opted to stay on in Mendi, even during the holidays.
That became a very sad reality for those of us who knew him well, but that was his prerogative in a free society.
He might have lived in Mendi for up to 60 years and may have died at the ripe old age of 95 years.
This was befitting of a person who loved sports in general, especially a good game of table tennis and basketball.
Peni was never married and remained a bachelor all his life.
He had been a dedicated Catholic whose faith was immense and unwavering.
He served the people of Mendi until he died two months ago, leaving a legacy of dedicated service.
We pray that his soul will rest in eternal peace.
As a former student of the late teacher and mentor, I take this opportunity to thank the Mendi Mission in Kumin to have laid to rest the body of Peni at the mission cemetery.
He gave up all, including his beloved Manus, for the love of his dear Mendi.
Peni was an icon of Mendi.
May he be remembered by the people of Mendi, Southern Highlands and Papua New Guinea as a whole for his loyal and dedicated service to education in the province.

Timon Wena
Mt Wilhelm