A former national football midfielder in the 1970s Sam John Lee Wah will to­day be laid to rest at the Chinese cemetery in Basoga, Labasa. The 72-year-old who played football for over 20 years passed away this week.

Lee Wah played for Labasa in the late 1960s going into the 1970s along with Welsh schoolteacher Mike Jones who introduced first touch football which is still adopt­ed today by the Babasiga Lions. The side at that time had star play­ers like Anand Sami, Gordon Lee Wai, Jimmy Zoing, Hussein Sahib and so on.

Close family member David Wil­liams who was preparing the fu­neral shed at Naodamu yesterday said his death has left many peo­ple in shock.

“He was a very humble person and he never said no to anything that his children asked for and he really loved his grandchildren,” Williams said.

Lee Wah was born in Tamavua but his dad is from China while his mum hails from Wailevu West in the province of Cakaudrove.

Former team-mate Gordon Lee­wai said he would miss his friend.

“We both played midfield togeth­er when we were in the Labasa team in 1971. We knew each other since he joined the Kiwi club in the 1960s as we used to play against each other in the club competi­tion. Later he joined Old Boys club where his brother-in-laws were playing in. He was a quiet person and always keep to himself. I’m go­ing to miss him.”

Lee Wah is married to Selina (nee Zoing) a former national netball rep and a prominent social worker in Vanua Levu.

After his football days, Lee Wah worked as a senior traffic officer for national airline Air Pacific (now Fiji Airways) before he re­tired.

He is survived by his wife, four children and 10 grandchildren.

The funeral service is to be held at the Holy Family Parish Church at 10am today.

Edited by Leone Cabenatabua

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