Peter Mumu Lawrence "COCO" passed away on Wednesday 7th August 2024 aged 82, at Whakatane Hospital surrounded by his loving family.

A service for Coco will be held on Saturday 10th August, 11am at the Kawerau Town Hall followed by burial at the Kawerau Cemetery.

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Peter’s Eulogy

Peter Mumu Lawrence was born on May 18, 1942, in Lepea, Western Samoa. He was raised by his mother, Na’ofofoga Falefaga, who was known as Mary. Peter was the fourth of five children, with two sisters, Raymonde and Winnie, and two brothers, Sani and Lole. 

Mary worked as a cook for government officials, and Peter often accompanied her to assist. He attended Marist Brothers Catholic School in Apia, but at around 14 years old, during a holiday with family in Savaii, he discovered a love for fishing and decided not to return to school. His family eventually brought him back home, and he began working with horses, where his small, agile frame led him to become a jockey.

When his sister Winnie moved to New Zealand, she saved up enough money to bring Peter over as well. He settled in Auckland, living in Penrose. However, after getting into a bit of mischief, Aunty Winnie insisted he move to Kawerau to work with her husband at the Caxton paper mill. Together, Winnie and Peter saved enough to bring their older sister Raymonde and her family to join them in Kawerau. Their mother, Mary, became a frequent visitor and eventually moved to Wellington to live with her son Lole.

In Kawerau Peter met Gay, they married in 1965 and together had three beautiful daughters: Cheryl, Debbie, and Rosita. When Gay moved to Australia, Peter stayed in New Zealand and took on the responsibility of raising his daughters, doing an exceptional job as a single father.

Later, he met Carol, who came with two daughters of her own, Kathy and Roimata. Despite a tumultuous start, Peter and Carol married in 1986 and built a life together. They shared many happy memories, from playing golf and dancing to traveling and enjoying raising the 5 girls together.

There were repeated annual holidays to various beaches in Northland and Coromandel, however most holidays were spent at his favourite beaches along the East Coast.  He did extensive day trips to beaches in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, fishing and gathering an impressive collection of shells with Carol.

Once the girls left home to further their education, get married and have children, Peter and Carol travelled further afield with a few trips back to Samoa, regular trips to Australia, as well as many trips to various Pacific Islands, and a visit to his daughter Debbie when she was living in Indonesia.

Peter’s food was popular at all extended family gatherings. Everyone enjoyed eating his Samoan umu, chop suey, taro, raw fish and mussels.  No family occasion passed without a request for him to bring one or many of these favourite dishes. 

His greatest passions were fishing, golf, bush-walking and dancing, especially when he was out socializing, which he did frequently. He was a keen hunter in his younger days and managed to hunt down a 16 pointer stag.  His talent for golf earned him numerous prizes including at least one ham every Christmas and several trophies, with his proudest achievements being the number of holes-in-one he got. At his peak, he played with an impressive handicap of 4.

Peter was a handsome man, his daughter Cheryl fondly recalls how the girls in her College basketball team all had a crush on him and loved it when he would drop her off on his way to the Cozzie Club.

Peter was a regular at the Cozzie Club, where he made many friends. His love for a few drinks occasionally led him astray, resulting in the odd trip home in a cop car or a bar fight. After losing his license drink-driving, his trusty bike became his steed, ensuring he never missed out on the fun.

As a hands-on grandad, Peter cherished his time with his eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Staying with Grandma and Grandad Coco was always an adventure, filled with fun and excitement, stories that the family will surely share today and on many occasions in the future.

Peter had a long and dedicated career at Caxton, eventually becoming a Shift Supervisor on the paper machine before retiring in 2008 after 46 years of service.

Gardening was another of Peter’s loves. He took great pride in his well-protected banana trees and taro patch in the reserve behind his house, often grabbing his machete to chase off anyone he thought was messing with it. His vegetable garden, particularly his impressive tomatoes, was a source of pride, and he frequently gifted produce to family and neighbours.

Peter was known for being set in his ways. Once he made up his mind about something, there was no swaying him. Whether it was overzealously repairing divots, trimming trees, or expanding his garden into the reserve, Peter followed his own rules.

He was always willing to lend a hand, often seen doing odd jobs for neighbours without being asked. Stories abound of him collecting mail, weeding gardens, and even climbing on roofs to sweep chimneys. Peter also spent many hours, throughout his golfing career, helping out at working bees on the golf course.

Retirement gave Peter ample time to indulge in his hobbies. He loved heading off in his 4WD to go fishing - surfcasting and taking out his beloved kayak. Golf was his greatest passion; he played twice most days, often practicing in the reserve behind his house, after coming back from the course the second time.

Even into his late 70s, Peter remained fit and strong, retaining his thick hair, smooth olive skin, and youthful good looks. However, in his early 70s, Peter began to develop Alzheimer’s. Over time, the disease gradually took away his enjoyment of fishing, and eventually, he was unable to play golf.  After having his driver’s licence revoked his illness rapidly progressed, his condition worsened, and sadly his body eventually gave out earlier this week.

Peter lived a full and colourful life, feared by some but loved by many. His memory will live on through the countless stories, laughter, and love he shared with everyone he knew.q