Kingi Porima has passed away in Rotorua aged 82.
Porima, of Ngāti Hikairo, grew up in Kāwhia. He left there in his teens to find work in the Kaingaroa Forest. There, he met his wife Sophie and settled in nearby Murupara, raising their whānau in the town for over 50 years.
He never lost connection with his Ngāti Hikairo roots, however. He became a member of the Tainui Māori Trust Board shortly before the 1995 Treaty settlement. He then became a director of Tainui Group Holdings and eventually became the chairperson of Te Arataura, the tribe's executive branch as it was known.
He stayed in that role until 2010 when he was forced to resign amid accusations of leaking information to journalists.
Porima was an avid golfer and would often be seen at the National Māori Golf tournament. He also served as the patron of the New Zealand Māori Golf Association.
He is currently lying in state at Rangitahi Marae in Murupara.
His final karakia service will be held on Friday morning, before he is taken to a whānau urupā to be buried next to his wife Sophie, who passed away in 2016.
