Kyah (16), along with his three friends, O Maruhuatau Otuwhare Tawhai (17), Konnor Steele (16) and Indaka Rouse (16) died when the Ford Ranger ute they were in and a concrete truck collided outside the entrance to Queen’s Park in Invercargill on April 22.
His whanau and friends gathered at the Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff yesterday to farewell the young man.
Despite sunshine, calm and blues skies, the atmosphere in the tiny seaside town yesterday morning was heavy with grief as the community, bound together by its collective loss, mourned.
Kyah’s Southland Boys’ High School School te reo and maths kia ako Junior Tonga described him as a competent pupil who was capable of achieving anything he put his mind to.
Mr Tonga was particularly impressed by Kyah’s penmanship. He spoke of the pleasure the family expressed when their longed-for blue-eyed baby was born in 2005 and how extended family had played important roles during his upbringing. Family had a strong presence and influence during his short life.
Kyah’s favourite saying, "forever and for always", meant even more to the family .
Multiple sport codes actively featured from a young age. At 4, he ran on to the rugby field wearing Bluff colours for the first time and his grandmother quickly became his number one sports fan.
"Kyah had an amazing talent. His gift for sport was truly 100[%]. If he failed at a game, he would always work 10 times harder to achieve.
"We all know Kyah had an enormous amount of talent, especially in the sport he loved most — softball . . . and was determined to be a top pitcher one day."
The Southland softball representative "could play the sport with his eyes closed. He was a natural."
He loved to succeed and loved making people proud. He was fiercely competitive and a "little book of knowledge".
His eye for detail enabled him to produce picture perfect art.
He would forever be known for his kindness.
Kyah was buried at Green Point cemetery yesterday beside the friend he died with, Konnor Steele, who was buried on Thursday.
By Toni McDonald
