Goodbye Henry Kila. Kats mulai.

Kats mulai, Henry Kila. We’ll miss you.  

How to pay tribute to Henry Kila, one of the funniest men Ive ever met? A man whose timing was impeccable: he could make the silliest joke witty.

I remember sitting in the back of the DWU auditorium with him and Mel Togolo for one of the Australian-PNG Business council sessions this year, all of us giggling too much for our own good. Still, I couldn't move away, Henry was being too funny. When a member of the Education Department too the stage I gasped in admiration of his big soft afro. "Where's he from Henry?""

"1972".

I’m not sure, but I think this is the last joke I heard him tell:

Mugabe, Somare and Mandela are all tumbling to the ground after a mid-air collision. Everyone takes out their cel phone. Mandela starts dialing up St Peter to be cleared through the Pearly Gates. But the phone keeps ringing and ringing off the hook. Mugabe tries now, but he only gets a busy signal. So Somare dials a number and gets through right away. "How'd you do that? they ask. "Hey, for me," Somare says, "its only a local call.""

Fate got the last laugh, killing Henry with malaria when he was so young (55!), so fit, so well-loved, so accomplished. Im still trying to ring St Peter, to see if he got through---No: to be sure he got through. 

Comments

[PK]

HK
You will be sorely missed by all whom you have came in contact with. Your smiling face will always linger in the hearts of many you have touched and your kindness and generousity will be cemented in the minds of everyone you have supported. We thank our heavenly Father for giving us such a person to know and befriend. If only there were more people like you.Thank you HK for the wonderful memories and may your soul rest in peace.
Haparua.

[Peter Sutton]

Those members who have worked in PNG will remember Henry Kila from Kila Bowring. He passed away on the morning of 4th January in Port Moresby. He was only in his mid fifties.
Henry was a real gentleman, tall and grey haired from an early age, he always look distinguished and was one of the first PNG nationals to part own a brokerage in PNG.
I remember arriving at Moresby just before Christmas 1984 with my family and there to meet us was Henry Kila in his big 4x4 to take us to our hotel and then take us to dinner. This was followed up by a trip out on his boat to Fishermans Island at the weekend.
His friendship and consideration continued for the five years that we were there and I know that he had the same sort of relationship with others in the industry.
I am sure that those of us who knew him, offer his family and friends our thoughts for the loss of a really good man and leading figure of the Insurance Industry in Papua New Guinea.

Peter Sutton

[Spowf]

Haparua Uncle HK.

The 1972 reply made me laugh out loud!

Thanks for sharing