A TRIBUTE TO PERCY TEHIRA, ONE OF THE LAST OF OUR ORIGINAL PCC MāORI TUPUNA:

Percy TeHira, whom I have known ever since I was the Church College of Hawaii student stage-manager at the Polynesian Cultural Center night show in 1968, was a New Zealand Māori section musician (at night) during the early years and a full-time physical facilities carpenter at BYU–Hawaii for many years after. 

 Of course, his own service as a labor missionary carpenter from Whatawhata (near Hamilton) and in other trades began as early as 1952 when he and numerous Kiwis started working on the various labor mission building projects that eventually covered New Zealand with chapels, the New Zealand Temple in Temple View, and the adjacent, former Church College of New Zealand.  

In the early 1960s, his woodworking skills also led him to a unique assignment as a labor missionary on the second phase of expanding the Church College of Hawaii campus and helping build the Polynesian Cultural Center. 

After that, he settled permanently in Laie for the next 60-plus years where he was well known for sharing his trade skills with friends and the community. He was also dedicated years of volunteer work in Scouting, and more recent often played and sang with the Laie Serenaders kūpuna group. 

 Uncle Percy passed away at home in November 2025 as a well-respected and much beloved Māori elder: Haere atu rā, moe mai rā, e taku hoa aroha, e Percy TeHira.