He was born on September 23, 1941, in Ivirua, on the island of Mangaia, in the Cook Islands.
His son, Darren Leach-Rouvi, described his father as a tireless worker and a respected pillar of the community.
He left school at age 13 when his father, Rouvi Uritua, died, determined to help his mother, Ungaia, support his 11 brothers and sisters, and extended family.
‘‘He worked tirelessly to do so, ultimately immigrating to Dunedin in 1966.
‘‘Despite hardly speaking a word of English, he was nonetheless determined to provide a better future for his family, and New Zealand represented the promised land of opportunity.’’
He spent three years paying off his passage by working as a local labourer, saving every dollar he could, to bring his young wife Maria (nee Timiiti-Maru) to Dunedin.
Once she arrived, they both worked hard and eventually saved enough to buy land, on which he helped to build their home with his own hands, alongside other members of the Cook Islands community.
In Dunedin, they raised their children — Marina Robati-Mani, Andrew Rouvi, Darren Leach-Rouvi and Elwyn Rouvi — but his story is far bigger than the immigration of one family.
He did not just bring his wife to Dunedin. Over a period of two decades, he helped many Cook Islanders in immigrating to Dunedin, building what is today a thriving local community.
‘‘He dedicated his life to serving not just the Cook Islands community, but the greater community of Dunedin,’’ his son said.
‘‘As a well-respected, long serving patriarch in this city, his death is a major loss. He was a leader in every sense of the word.’’
Mr and Mrs Rouvi were members of the First Church of Otago for nearly 50 years.
He was the first Cook Islands elder to be ordained at First Church, and was well respected by the numerous ministers, elders and the multicultural congregation over the decades.
He was also a founding member of the church’s Cook Islands community in Dunedin, of which he was the secretary for 20 years and assistant secretary for eight years.
During his tenure as secretary, the community hosted numerous cultural and sporting touring groups from the Cook Islands and all over New Zealand.
In addition, over a 30-year period, he hosted Knox Theological Hall students from the Cook Islands, along with their visiting families.
‘‘Any young Cook Islander who moved to or visited Dunedin, understood that upon arrival, they would first go to Kopu’s house for his advice and mentorship,’’ Mr Leach-Rouvi said.
‘‘This was the case for any circumstance; at any time if anyone needed help, it was to Kopu they went.
‘‘He always had an open-door policy for family and visitors to come home for a hot meal, a bed and plenty of conversation.’’
Despite working long days and nights at his factory jobs, he gave back to the wider community in numerous ways, including as a board member of the Otago Health Trust, the Otago Special Olympics indoor bowls team head coach, the Dunedin Foundation for the Blind indoor bowls team assistant coach, and a Parent Teacher Association member at Concord Primary School.
He was also a member of Island Park Golf Club, he coached schoolboy rugby, he managed a band called the Echoes, and he loved taking daily walks with his wife at St Clair Beach.
Kopu was passionate about family history and passing down and sharing the culture of his home island of Mangaia.
He worked extensively on his genealogy, kept meticulous records, and frequently organised family reunions.
He also worked closely with academics at the University of Otago, including Prof Michael Reilly, helping with Mangaian translations in their research.
‘‘Kopu was a very devoted and loving family man who was very proud of his 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, and their continuing education and accomplishments.
‘‘Today, his legacy is not just his many descendants who scatter the globe from New Zealand and the Cook Islands to Los Angeles, New York and the United Arab Emirates.
‘‘It is the wonderful Cook Islands community of Dunedin, his long-standing service to the First Church of Otago and his public service endeavours.’’
Mr Rouvi died aged 78 in Dunedin Hospital on January 29, following a long battle with cancer.
He is survived by wife Maria, brothers Takake Paia, Ao Henry, Kimi Henry and George Henry, sisters Okianga Metua, Tangimama Galumalemana and Martha Makimare, four children, 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
— John Lewis
