Fifita Tava 'i Manuka (Pututau) Lotulelei

June 14, 1934 - July 18, 2021

Fifita Tava ‘i Manuka (Pututau) Lotulelei, 87, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 18th, 2021 in South Jordan, Utah. She was encircled by her children, grandchildren, and great- randchildren. Tava was born, the youngest of nine, on June 14th, 1934 in Angaha, Niuafo’ou, Tonga to Siua and Langakali Pututau. She was married to the late, Sione Maka’afi Lotulelei in Nuku’alofa, Tonga in December of 1953. Tava will be most remembered for her life of service to her family, community, and faith. From Tokomololo to West Valley, her fellow Relief Society sisters noted that she never missed a month of visiting teaching. She was a devoted mother of twelve children and many more who found refuge in her home. Her life spanned eight decades and thousands of miles--born on the small island of Niuafo’ou, raised in ‘Eua and Tonga, and finally settling in Utah in the late 1990s. She esteemed her greatest accomplishment was sending all of her children on LDS missions and witnessing them marry in the temple. Forty-two of her grandchildren also served LDS missions. And in her later years, she and her husband returned, for the last time, to Tonga as LDS missionaries. She is survived by her children, Sefanaia (Fanga), Haloti (Mele), Sitalaiti (Pesatina), Losaline (Alama), Mohekonokono (Siteli), Atelaite (Lupeni), Tevita (Kay), Siaosi (Ginger), Anderson (Glenna), Fakaanaua (Kali), Saniatoa (Angie), Sela (Sione), Epoki (Shelly), Sefanaia (Peta), Ti Akau, 71 grandchildren, 120 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Maka’afi Lotulelei, her siblings, Filiku, Fatai, Toa, Talitu’i, ‘Ofa, and parents, Siua and Langakali. Funeral services celebrating Tava’s beautiful life will be held Thursday, July 22, 2021 at the Tongan South Stake Center (4640 West 5015 South, Kearns, Utah 84118). The Viewing will be at 8am-11:30am, followed by the Bishop Service at noon and burial at 1:30pm at Valley View Cemetery (4335 West 4100 South, West Valley City, Utah 84120).