Adi Litia Nailatikau has given a vivid account of her father’s last full day, telling mourners how the late former president Ratu Epeli Nailatikau spent March 25 reconnecting with friends and former colleagues before his death the following day.
Speaking at his funeral service, Adi Litia traced his movements in detail: he left home at 8.45am to attend the funeral of the late Colonel Netani Rika, stood at the burial in Davuilevu at 11am, shared grog with fellow ex-servicemen at Studio 6 at 1.30pm, and later visited the Defence Club at about 5.30pm. She picked him up around 9pm that evening and said his face was “shining” as he got into the car. “Oh Litia, I had a great day,” she recalled him saying. “I saw all the ex-service guys, and we reminisced on so many stories, and how many of us are left.”
Her recollection paints a portrait of a man who remained outward-facing and sociable to the end. Adi Litia described her father’s wide circle of friends — affectionately called “the boys” — most of whom are over 70 and meet nearly every night. Whether at the Fiji Club, the Defence Club, or on daily walks around Suva, she said, Ratu Epeli relished conversation and human connection. “He was people-centred in how he lived his life,” she told those gathered.
Adi Litia also described a pattern of constant, informal updates she would receive by midday — notes of morning walks, hospital visits, and stops at familiar local haunts — a routine she said “defined not only his personal life but also his public service.” Her account gives a personal perspective on the final days of a prominent national figure, underlining how engagement with community and comrades remained central to him.
The late Ratu Epeli was married to Adi Koila Mara, daughter of the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. He is survived by their two children, Ratu Kamisese Vuna Nailatikau and Adi Litia Cakobau. The family’s public sharing of these last moments adds a human dimension to previous reports of his passing and the ceremonial farewell, showing a leader known for his public roles also kept close bonds through everyday social routines.
This account is the latest personal testimony emerging from the funeral events and contributes to a growing public record about the final days of a respected statesman. It resonates with those who remember him not just for official duties but for the regular companionship and camaraderie that defined his later life.
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