Luke Tamatea

New Zealand Soldier Corporal Luke Tamatea, age 31, of Kawerau, died on August 19, 2012, in Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb. 

He was with the Royal Infantry of New Zealand - 2nd/1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/1 RNZIR) based in Burnham.

Saint Francis of Assisi, pray
for Luke

Luke grew up in Te Teko, 10 kilometres from Kawerau and left Edgecumbe College in 1996.

Luke Tamatea joined the army in 2000 and served in Timor Leste in 2001, the Solomons in 2003 and helped with the tsunami recovery in Sumatra in 2005. He had previously served in Afghanistan in 2007. His recent deployment to Afghanistan began in April of 2012.

Friends stated that he was a nice easy going guy, clean cut and a huge mountain of a man.  It was also stated that he was popular among his mates.

Luke is survived by many loving friends and relatives including his mother, Lynn McSweeney; and his grandmother, Loraine O'Brien.

Let us pray that Luke Tamatea is in heaven. Let us pray that he is at peace and is with God. Amen.