Palela Pule

Born in Samoa on August 15, 1941, a son of the late Simanu Pule and Pulotu Lemusu, Palela Pule passed away peacefully on January 14, 2022 at the age of 80 at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in the presence of his daughter.

He will be fondly remembered and forever loved by his children Rami, Darvin, Sylvia, Flynn, and Teuila Pule. Cherished grandfather of three grandsons and six granddaughters. He played drums and guitar in a local band in his late 20s which led him to American Samoa where he met and married our mother Naoupu Siava. He attended school in Samoa up until middle school. Like most Samoans in his time, our father came from a poor family with very little education, but he did not let that hold him back. For that, we are very proud of him and his accomplishments. With minimal education, he managed to secure a job with the government of American Samoa at the Department of Marine Wildlife Resources as an Engineer and Mechanic for the Sausauimoana Boat. Through his work, he was afforded opportunities and rare life experiences that we could only dream of. Throughout his career, he traveled and explored the Polynesian Islands. He was quite the storyteller. He shared with us countless stories of his fishing trips to the neighboring islands. He would always bring back a souvenir whether it’s a shark fin or tooth, a variety of beautiful seashells or a keepsake from the islands he visited.

He spent hours watching sports and the National Geographic channel. He was a big fan of the Manu Samoa Rugby team. Besides the National Geographic and Sports channel our father watched Jerry Springer and Dr. Pimple Popper religiously. He had a passion for reading and loved to fish. He was quite the social butterfly, and he loved his whiskey. It was the reason why he was well known by a lot of people. He was a man of many talents – a bodybuilder, a musician, storyteller, engineer, boat mechanic, a farmer, and the best of all, he was our father! His goal in life was very simple – work hard and provide for our family. He survived a rough and challenging childhood and managed to make something of himself. He was a loving, selfless and caring man. He turned down numerous job opportunities to come to America just so he could be home to watch his children grow. Our father always pushed and motivated us to find better opportunities in the United States. His life through poverty as a child in Samoa served as a painful memory and encouragement for him to do better and to ensure that his children had everything he didn’t have when he was young. We know how proud he was of us and our accomplishments. We could only hope he knew how proud we are of his as well. After 35 plus years of service at Marine Wildlife, our father retired. He waited until all his children graduated high school.

Our father lived an exceptional life! His presence will be deeply missed by our families, his friends, co-workers, and all those who knew him very well. We thank God for allowing us to have him in our lives for this long and for the many blessings he bestowed upon our father. Rest in everlasting love my beloved. You will be forever in our hearts!

Funeral Services will be held 10:00 AM -12:00 Noon, Thursday, January 27, 2022 at LaFayette Funeral Home, 6651 Raeford Rd. Fayetteville, NC 28304 with Pastor Manaomia Tauanuu officiating.