A
ABBOTT, Malcolm Edwin
July 1, 1942 (aged 34)—Papua New Guinea
Pastor from Australia. Died in the sinking of Montevideo Maru, a Japanese prison ship torpedoed by mistake. [1]
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ADRIAN, Herbert William
September 19, 1937—Waimaro village, Fiji
Mission accountant. Died in car accident. Buried in Suvavou. [2]
ALEXIS, Christopher Allan
April 16, 1983 (aged 2 months)—Kabiufa, Papua New Guinea
Son of teachers Joel and Rita Alexis. Died of SIDS (cot death). Buried in Kabiufa. [3]
ANDERSON, Leslie Earl
May 3, 2002—Papua New Guinea
Missionary pilot and pastor from the United States, who had served in both Ethiopia and PNG. Died in plane crash between Karimui and Goroka. [4]
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ATKINS, Arthur Stanley
March 13, 1942 (aged 42)—Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
Leader in the New Guinea Mission. Died in the Japanese-controlled hospital in Rabaul. Buried at St Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Kokopo. [5]
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B
BAGGA, James M
January 23, 1993 (aged 50)—Suva, Fiji
Missionary evangelist from India who recently arrived in Fiji. Buried in Suvavou. [6]
BALLARD, Keith Leslie
March 28, 1967 (aged 27)—Lae, Papua New Guinea
District pastor at Maprik, East Sepik Province. Died of blood poisoning. Buried in Lae. Local church named the “Keith Ballard Memorial Church” in his honour. [7]
BARNETT, Graham Frederick
October 28, 1998 (aged 43)—Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Died of burns sustained in fuel fire/explosion at Pacific Adventist University, Papua New Guinea, where he served as head of the Education department. [8]
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BLANCH, Andrew David
October 26, 1978 (newborn)—Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Son of Pastor David and Patricia (Pearce) Blanch. Died of complications at birth. Buried in Port Moresby. Pastor Blanch was serving as district director in Daru, Western Province, at the time of his death. [9]
BOEHM, Dorothy
June 15, 1940 (aged 29)—Warburton, Victoria
Served with her husband, Eric Boehm, in Papua from 1930. Died of cerebral malaria while on furlough. [10]
C
CALDWELL, Dale Arthur
February 12, 1948 (aged 4 months)—Mt Hagen, Papua New Guinea
Son of David and Joy (Heaton) Caldwell. Died of malaria. Buried at Mt Hagen. David was a government medical worker serving in Mt Hagen at the time of his death. [11]
CALDWELL, Wendy Lee
June 16, 1950 (infant)—Papua New Guinea
Daughter of David and Joy (Heaton) Caldwell. Buried in Port Moresby. David was serving as a missionary at the time of her death. [12]
CAMPBELL, Kenneth David
May 31, 1937 (aged 15 months)—Salamaua, Papua New Guinea
Son of Alexander and Emily (Ford) Campbell. Died of pneumonia. Buried at Salamaua. Parents were serving at Kainantu (also known as Ramu River Mission) at the time of his death. [13]
CARR, Harold Patterson
October 6, 1913 (aged 8½ months)—Atchin, New Herbrides (now Vanuatu)
Son of Harold and Clara (Patterson) Carr. Died of acute bronchitis. Buried at Atchin. Parents were serving as missionaries in New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) at the time of his death. [14]
CHUGG, Merlene Ruth
November 30, 1979—Holgate, New South Wales, Australia
Died of pulmonary embolism. Buried at Avondale Lawn Cemetery, Cooranbong. Merlene was to follow her husband, Kevin, to Atoifi, Solomon Islands. Kevin had left a week earlier to begin his work as a builder for the Western Pacific Union Mission. [15]
COLLETT, Estelle
1936—Kavieng, Papua New Guinea
Daughter of Trevor and Olga (Wiles) Collett. Died of head trauma at birth. Buried at Kavieng. Parents were self-supporting missionaries on Mussau. [16]
COLLETT, Trevor
July 1, 1942—Papua New Guinea
Self-supporting missionary (from Australia) on Mussau. Died in the sinking of Montevideo Maru, a Japanese prison ship torpedoed by mistake. [17]
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COLQUHOUN
November 8, 1968 (newborn)—Tarawa, Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati)
Daughter of Peter and Carelle (Boyle) Colquhoun. Buried at Tarawa. Peter was president of the Gilbert and Ellis Island Mission at the time of her death. [18]
CORMACK, Wendy Joy
July 13, 1946 (aged 1 year 7 months)—Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Daughter of James and Linda (McLane) Cormack. Died of pneumonia. Buried at Rarotonga. [19]
D
DAIVALU, Ratu Tevita
May 23, 1928—Bisiatabu, Papua New Guinea
Missionary from Fiji. Died of blackwater fever at Bisiatabu. Buried in the Samoan section of the Port Moresby cemetery. [20]
DICKINS, Garry John
April 22, 1949 (aged 3 months)—Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
Son of Hugh and Royce (Stockton) Dickins. Buried at Rabaul. [21]
DUNN, Brian Mansfield
December 19, 1965—Honiara, Solomon Islands
Murdered (speared) while serving as a missionary nurse at Atoifi Adventist Hospital, Malaita. Buried in Honiara. [22]
F
FERRIS, Christina (Chrissie)
January 26, 1955—Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia
Wife of Walter Ferris. Died following major surgery at Sydney Adventist Hospital while on furlough from mission work in Fiji. [23]
FERRIS, Colleen Ann
October 23, 1939 (aged 3 years 5 months)—Kwailabesi, Solomon Islands
Daughter of Pastor David and Edith (Candish) Ferris. Died from chocking on quinine tablet complicated by “thymus trouble”. Buried at Kwailabesi. The Ferrises were serving at a mission station in Kwailabesi at the time of her death. [24]
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FERRIS, Esther
November 18, 1922 (aged 16)—Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia
Grew up on Norfolk Island with missionary parents, Pastor Arthur and Jessie (Dunlop) Ferris. Died at Sydney Adventist Hospital. Buried at Avondale Cemetery, Cooranbong. The Ferrises were serving on Lord Howe Island at the time of her death. [25]
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FERRIS, Jean
January 26, 1935 (aged 2 days)—Suva, Fiji
Daughter of Pastor Walter and Chrissie (Lowe) Ferris. Died of neonatal complications. Buried at Tamavua. [26]
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FERRIS, Ronald Bobbie
June 8, 1933 (aged 1 day)—Suva, Fiji
Son of Pastor Walter and Chrissie (Lowe) Ferris. Died of neonatal complications. Buried in Suvavou. [27]
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FULTON, George Lorin
September 20, 1904 (aged 7)—Tamavua, Fiji
Son of John and Susie (Newlon) Fulton. Died of “bowel difficulty”. Buried at Suvavou. [28]
G
GERSBACH, Lance Russell
May 18, 2003—Malaita, Solomon Islands
Missionary from Australia. Murdered while serving as business manager of Atoifi Adventist Hospital. Buried in Ourimbah, New South Wales. Lance and his wife, Jean, has previously served in Papua New Guinea. [29]
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GILLIS, Graeme Adrian
April 29, 1948 (aged 2 years 9 months)—Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Son of Stanley and Ivy (Masters) Gillis. Died of of diphtheria/malaria. Buried at Port Moresby. [30]
GRAY, Amy
May 11, 1926 (aged 3 years)—Ghoghombe, Solomon Islands
Daughter of David Gray and Mabel (Goldsmith) Gray. Died of cholera. Buried at Ghoghombe. [31]
H
HAMILTON, Andrew Brian
July 8, 1979 (aged 5½ years)—Papua New Guinea
Son of Brian and June (Holland) Hamilton. Died in motor vehicle accident on Goroka-Madang road. Buried at Kabiufa. [32]
HOKE, Sepi Bali
March 28, 1963 (aged 5)—Papua New Guinea
Daughter of Wilson Hoke, a British Solomon Islander missionary to Bougainville. Drowned in loss of MV Polurrian between Buka and Rabaul. [33]
J
JAMA, Bessie
1993 (aged 11)—Papua New Guinea
Daughter of Jerry Jama, a missionary from Solomon Islands serving as a Sonoma College lecturer.
JOHNSTON, Christine Tania
August 28, 1972 (aged 4)—Madang, Papua New Guinea
Daughter of Bruce and Lei (Morne) Johnston. Died of myocarditis. Buried in Madang. [34]
K
KNOPPER, Peter Andreas
March 16, 1988 (aged 32)—Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Murdered (shooting) outside his home at Mt Michael. Peter was serving as director of the Homu district and Homu Laymen’s Training School at the time of his death. [35]
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L
LANG, Frederick
November 23, 1930—Fiji
Teacher at Buresala Training School. Lost at sea in MV Cina shipping tragedy (hurricane). [36]
LARWOOD, Lens George
August 15, 1979—Malaita, Solomon Islands
Business manager of Atoifi Adventist Hospital, who helped establish the School of Nursing at the hospital. Died of head injuries sustained in tractor accident. Lens also oversaw the construction of a hydro-electric generation plant at the school—the first of its kind in Solomon Islands. [37]
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LEE, Noel
January 25, 1928 (aged 4 years 11 months)—New Georgia, Solomon Islands
Son of Charles and Margaret (Nixon) Lee. Died of dysentery at Kukegolo Methodist Hospital, New Georgia. Buried at Dovele, Vella Lavella. [38]
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LELLO, John
November 26, 2012 (aged 46)—Ama Mission, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea
Adventist Frontier Missions (AFM) missionary from United States. Died in tree-felling accident at Sepik River. [39]
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LEMKE, Adrian Blair
December 29, 1952 (aged 4)—Turama River, Papua New Guinea
Son of Ernest and Delys (Blair) Lemke, missionaries based at Oriomo. Drowned in Lao Heni II ship explosion. Buried in Port Moresby. [40]
LEMKE, David Wayne
December 29, 1952 (aged 6)—Turama River, Papua New Guinea
Son of Ernest and Delys (Blair) Lemke, missionaries based at Oriomo. Drowned in Lao Heni II ship explosion. Body not recovered. [41]
LEMKE, Delys
December 29, 1952—Turama River, Papua New Guinea
Missionary based at Oriomo with her husband, Ernest. Drowned in Lao Heni II ship explosion. Buried in Port Moresby. [42]
M
MAAFU, Vetenia
1913 (aged 10)—Vava’u, Tonga
Daughter of Fijian missionaries Henry and Mrs Maafu. Died of consumption (tuberculosis). [43]
MAJA
January, 1940—Manus, Papua New Guinea
Missionary from Ranongga, Solomon Islands. Died of chest infection. Buired Malai Bay. [44]
MANELE, Joyce Raylene
August 27, 2008—Solomon Islands
Missionary from South New Georgia Island. Wife of Pastor Jim Manele. Died while couple was serving at Sonoma Adventist College. Buried at Betikama, Guadalcanal. [45]
MARKS, Dora Ruth
April 18, 1938 (2 years 10 months)—Put Put, Papua New Guinea
Daughter of Raglan and Alice (Kemp) Marks. Died of haemorrhagic dysentery. Buried at Put Put. First expatriate missionary death in PNG. [46]
McLAUCHLAN, Mervyn
May 19, 1969 (aged 52)—Paglum, Papua New Guinea
Teacher and principal at Western Highlands Central School. Died of coronary occlusion. Buried at Mt Hagen cemetery. [47]
MEGHA, Deni Mark (Dennie)
September 15, 1944—Kambubu, Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands missionary serving as acting principal of Kambubu school. Died of malaria and injuries sustained during torture by Japanese military. Buried near Kambubu. [48]
Miller, Karen Adele
November 9, 1959 (aged 5 months)—Fiji
Daughter of missionaries Kenneth Ross and Mertle Miller. Died of pneumonia and congenital heart disease. Buried in Lautoka. [49]
MOOI, Wesley
August 5, 2011 (aged 44)—Vanua Lava, Vanuatu
Adventist Laymen’s Services and Industries volunteer from Beaudesert, Queensland. Died in tree felling accident while building an airstrip to support medical aviation mission work. The runway he was helping to clear was named Wesley Airstrip upon its completion. [50]
MOSESE, Naomi Stewart
April 1944—Fiji
Foster daughter of Pastor A G Stewart and wife of Fijian minister Mosese Nasesi. [51]
MURRAY, Ralph Stewart
June 11, 1990 (aged 61)—Apia, Samoa
Missionary from Australia. Died in motorbike accident. Ralph served 28 years in Papua New Guinea. After returning to Australia for a few months, he went as a volunteer to Samoa to assist in cyclone-damage repairs. [52]
O
OTI, Emily
1929—Bougainville, Papua New Guinea
She and her husband, Oti Maekera, were pioneer missionaries from Solomon Islands. [53]
OTI, Glynn (Glen)
(school-age) Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
Son of Maekera and Emily Oti, pioneer missionaries from Solomon Islands.
OWEN, Sarah
July 9, 1895—Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Pioneer missionary from Battle Creek, Michigan (USA), who travelled to Cook Islands with husband David A Owen on the 3rd voyage of the Pitcairn. Buried in LMS cemetery in Avarua. [54]
P
PARKER, Murial
May 16, 1930—Batuna, Solomon Islands
Missionary wife of Arthur Parker. Died of haemorrhage six weeks after arrival. Buried in Batuna. [55]
PASCOE, David
March 9, 1955 (aged a few months)—Sydney, Australia
Son of Pastor Martin and Joyce Pascoe. Died of septal heart defect contracted at birth in Papua New Guinea. Parents had returned to Australia to seek medical attention. The Pascoes served in PNG for 27 years. [56]
PLANE, Rhonda Clare
February 28, 1975 (aged 9)—Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia
Daughter of Ron and Pat Plane. Died of cancer at Sydney Adventist Hospital (aged 9). Family had just returned to Australia from Sopas, Papua New Guinea, where Ron served as nursing school director. [57]
PLANE, Tatsiana
May 18, 1975—East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea
She and husband Barry Plane served as missionary teachers at Kambubu. Died of viral hepatitis at Nonga Hospital just weeks after arriving in PNG. Buried in Cooranbong, Australia. [58]
POWRIE, Gregory
1964 (newborn)—Aore, New Herbrides (now Vanuatu)
Son of missionary teachers Cedric and Jennifer (Smartt) Powrie. Died of birth complications. Buried in Aore. [59]
R
RAUSU, Thelma
1958 (aged 1)—Belepa, Gulf, Papua New Guinea
Daughter of Solomon Islands missionary teachers Tomme and Mrs Rausu. Buried at Belepa. [60]
ROWDEN, John Hampton
May 4, 1975 (aged 31)—Buca Bay, Fiji
Principal of Vatuvonu Junior Secondary School, Vanua Levu. Drowned in water-skiing accident. Body never recovered. [61]
ROWE, Jack William George
August 2, 1946—Buca Bay, Fiji
Missionary from Melbourne, Australia. Drowned following boat explosion at Buca Bay. Body not recovered. Jack was serving as district director for Vanua Levu and Lau at the time of his death. [62]
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RUPA, Lenard
1984 (aged 12)—Santo, Vanuatu
Son of Kila and Della Rupa, missionaries from Papua New Guinea. Died of tetanus after standing on rusty nail. Buried in Santo. Kila was serving as Vanuatu Mission secretary-treasurer at the time of his son’s death. [63]
S
SALUA, Vogae
June 16, 1934—Katulusai, Mussau, Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands missionary; first wife of Robert Salua. Died of fever during childbirth, along with stillborn baby. Buried in Katulusai. [64]
SHIELDS, Lawrence Graham
April 23, 1973 (aged 31)—Goroka, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Missionary pastor and pilot. Died in crash of VH-UBY mission plane. Buried at Kabiufa Adventist Cemetery. [65]
SILLS, Paul William
July 8, 1979 (aged 2 years 11 months)—Papua New Guinea
Son of Raymond and Janette (Guthrie) Sills. Died in motor vehicle accident on Goroka-Madang road. Buried in Kabiufa. Raymond was serving as president of the Western Highlands Mission at the time of his death. [66]
SILLS, Stephen Malcolm
July 8, 1979 (aged 7½ years)—Papua New Guinea
Son of Raymond and Janette (Guthrie) Sills. Died in motor vehicle accident on Goroka-Madang road. Buried in Kabiufa. Raymond was serving as president of the Western Highlands Mission at the time of his death. [67]
SOLOMON, Tuaine (SOLOMONA, Terai, Terry)
April 8, 1938 (aged 52)—Mirigeda, Papua New Guinea
Missionary from Cook Islands. Died of a facial malignancy. Buried at Mirigeda. [68]
STRATFORD, Doreen Fay
May 3, 1944 (aged 3 months)—Auckland, New Zealand
Daughter of Roy and Ivy (Butcher) Stratford. Died of pneumonia the day before the family were due to sail to Fiji. She was taken on the trip and buried in Suvavou, Fiji. [69]
T
TAVODI, Penisimani (Peni, Beni, Benisimani, Bennie)
October 9, 1918—Bisiatabu, Papua New Guinea
Pioneer missionary from Fiji. Died from snakebite. Buried at Bisiatabu Mission. One of two Adventist missionaries to first visit Papua in 1908). [70] (Note: later reports claiming he was murdered are based on a tribal confession 100 years later that a sorcerer had put a spell on him, ultimately “causing” the snakebite. In tribal thinking, that meant murder.) [71]
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TAY, John I
January 8, 1892 (aged 61)—Suva, Fiji
American pioneer missionary to Pitcairn Island and Fiji. Died of influenza (“la grippe”). Buried in Suva. [72]
TERETI, Kelena
September 25, 1933—Fiji
Fijian missionary serving in Papua New Guinea (along with husband Tereti Nagara). Died soon after giving birth while on furlough in Fiji. Kelena’s health was weakened after serving three years at Vailala, on the gulf of Papua. [73]
THOMSON, Frederick Christyn
March 27, 1964 (aged 9 months)—Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Son of Stanley and Fiona (Cornell) Thomson. Cause of death unknown. Buried at Rarotonga. Stanley was serving as headmaster of Paparoa School at the time of his death. [74]
TOLHURST, Margaret Gladys Pearl
March 14, 1919 (aged 28)—Faleloa, Ha’apai, Tonga
Missionary teacher. Died of Spanish influenza. Buried in Faleloa. First Avondale College graduate to die in the mission fields of the South Pacific. [75]
TUCKER, Dallas
February 18, 1944 (aged 6)—Suva, Fiji
Son of Evan and Noreen (Rudge) Tucker. Died of dysentery. Buried in Suvavou. [76]
V
VAN BIGNOOT, Isabelle
December 21, 1991 (aged 2)—Noumea, New Caledonia
Daughter of Johan and Elizabeth van Bignoot. Drowned. Buried at Ghent in Belgium. Johan was serving as president of the New Caledonia Mission at the time of her death. [77]
VIVA, Daniel
March 29, 1963—Papua New Guinea
Missionary teacher from Solomon Islands. Taken by sharks or barracuda after 24 hours of repeated attacks, following the sinking of the MV Polurrian between Buka and Rabaul. Daniel’s daughter (aged 2) and son (aged 1) both died of exposure/drowning. His wife, Jean, survived. [78]
W
WATTS, Brendon
September 9, 1957 (newborn)—Warburton, Victoria, Australia
Son of Horace and Margaret (Rousell) Watts. Died of complications at birth. The Watts’ were serving on Aoba, New Herbrides (now Vanuatu), when Margaret returned to Australia to give birth, while her husband remained in New Herbrides. [79]
WICKS, Madeline
September 11, 1937 (aged 50)—Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Missionary nurse. Died of stroke. Buried in Titikaveka, Rarotonga. She and her husband, Harold Wicks, were missionaries in Cook Islands and Solomon Islands. [80]
WILES, Norman
May 5, 1920 (aged 27)—Malekula, New Herbrides (now Vanuatu)
Pioneer missionary from Australia. Died of black water fever. Served and was buried at the Big Nambus mission station. [81]
WILSON, Shirley
February 23, 1972 (aged 35)—Preston, Victoria, Australia
Wife of Walter Wilson, a literature evangelist and missionary teacher in Papua New Guinea. Died of infection back in Australia after being evacuated from PNG. Buried at Fawkner cemetery, Melbourne. [82]
WRIGHT, Phil
December 14, 1941 (aged 29)—Tahiti, Society Islands, French Oceania (now French Polynesia)
New Zealand missionary serving as super-intendant of East Polynesian Mission. Died of pneumonia. [83]
Y
YOUNG, Sara Mareta (Mareta Sara)
July 14, 1906—Apia, Samoa
Pioneer missionary nurse from Pitcairn Island. Died of pneumonia. Buried at Tufuiopa cemetery. Sara served in French Oceania (now French Polynesia) and Tonga from 1894 to 1900. She completed her nursing training at the Sanitarium hospital (now Sydney Adventist Hospital) in 1903 [84], then went on to Samoa in 1904. She is the first San graduate to give her life in mission service. [85]
*List updated July 2020.