Sir Toby Curtis, a New Zealand educator, died on August 17, 2022.
The Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Rongomai kaumatua died at his home at Lake Rotoiti early on Wednesday morning, surrounded by whānau.
Sir Toby was a teacher, a staunch te reo Māori advocate, the founder of many Māori broadcasting initiatives, and head of the Te Arawa Lakes Trust.
Curtis was an educator and leader from New Zealand who died after being sick for several weeks. He was the leader of the Maori people, and he worked on a thesis for his Master’s named An investigation of how Hawaiki knowledge is fundamental for Maori leadership.
Previously, Curtis worked with the intellectually disabled student as a primary school teacher. In his old high school, he was a principal of Hato Petera College and vice principal in the 1980s of Auckland Teacher’s College. The educator was the director at Auckland College of Education of primary teacher education/
Even Curtis served at Auckland Institute of Technology as dean of the education faculty in 1990. Late in 2000, the educator became associate vice-chancellor.
Who Was Sir Toby Curtis?
Born at Lake Rotehu on 13 November 1939, Nopera Tamihana Curtis was the youngest of the 15 children of James and Taipapaki Curtis.
His parents had aspirations for him to do well at school but with that came the active discouragement of te reo Māori.
Curtis completed his education in his hometown at St Micheal’s College and a co-educational college in Northcote Central, St Peter’s Maori College in Auckland. At a young age, Curtis has a keen interest in sports, especially rugby.
Curtis’s birth name was Noble Thomson Curtis, but he goes with the name Toby in the world. The educator is of Maori descent and led the people. He had affiliated with the Te Arawa association to Maori iwi Ngati Pikiao and Ngati Rongomi.
Speaking to RNZ in 2014, Tā Toby said his older siblings were punished for speaking Māori at school, so his parents made sure he would not face the same.
“They went out of their way to ensure I didn’t speak Māori,” he said.
“Our parents were convinced that the only way we could do well educationally was to speak better English, and speaking Māori wasn’t going to help us become achievers in education.”
After primary school, his parents sent him to boarding school at St Peter’s Māori College, where he planned to leave at the end of fourth form to become an electrical apprentice in Rotorua.
Additionally, the educator played representative rugby for Countries Manukay Rugby Football Union and New Zealand professional rugby union team Bay of Plenty. Curtis had educated at Auckland Teachers Traning college in Auckland and the public research University of Auckland.
In 1972, Curtis completed his graduation with a Diploma in teaching. Simutonesly, the professor gained a master of arts degree in 1980. His master report thesis was named Independent Maori boarding schools: continue or discontinue. Later the leader grasped his Ph.D. degree in 2005 at the University of Auckland.
Sir Toby Curtis Died At Age 82; What Is The Death Cause?
Sir Nopera Tamihana Curtis (Toby) died at his Lake Rotoiti home on Wednesday, aged 82, surrounded by whānau.
Tributes for the straight-shooting respected kaumātua and leader have come from around New Zealand, highlighting his contributions to education, Māori and to Rotorua.
Sir Toby, or Taa Toby, retired from his role as Te Arawa Lakes Trust chairman in April at the age of 82, saying he had ticked many of the boxes he wanted to achieve.
The educator was sick for a while, which resulted in his death.
Thomas said the death was not a surprise, as the educator was ill for some time. He said Sir Toby had been unwell for a while, but it was still devastating to lose “a very special man” who “enabled access into the halls of power”.
He said Sir Toby challenged the status quo for the betterment of Māori.
Speaking to media in Auckland on Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was saddened to hear about Taa Toby’s passing.
“He was a huge advocate for his people and a huge believer in the power of the education system when we get it right.”
She said many people would have seen the impact he had across the country, over many years of hard work.
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said Taa Toby’s death will be widely felt.
“He was a great leader and a dear friend and I was privileged to have had the opportunity to spend time with him at his home during the past few weeks.”
She said he was a deep intellectual, witty and influential, someone who didn’t suffer fools and who was a strong advocate for young people and for Rotorua.
Curtis was the supporting hand of the new coordination between the Rotorua Lakes Council and Te Arawa in 2015. He was the person who thought it was vital to make a difference. Te Taru White, an Rōpū Whakahaere member, and Te Tatau o Te Arawa chairman, expressed the news was a great sadness for him, but he knew the instructor was at peace.
Meet Late Sir Toby Curtis’s Wife, Mary Agnes Sharry
Mary Agnes Sharry is the loving wife of the late Curtis. The couple married in 1966 and spent 56 years together. However, Mary may be mourning the death of her husband. The educator died surrounded by Māori-language words for extended family.
Curtis had four children with his beloved wife, Mary. New Zeland actor Clifford Vivian Devon Curtis is the nephew of the educator. Before his death, Toby had taken on some part at local and national levels, according to the Ngāti Whakaue leader.
Karen Vercoe, chief executive of Te Arawa Lakes Trust, mentioned Toby as an extraordinary leader eager about young people and the lakes of Rotorua. In the late 1980s, the educator was the chairperson of the Māori broadcasting advisory committee. He leads the formation of Aotearoa Radio, iwi radio stations, and Māori Television.
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