Mei Whaitiri as a 13-year-old high school student Model for the casting of the Reef Pania statue at Napier’s Marine ParadeHe passed away overnight.

The death was confirmed in a social media post by former MP Meka Whaitiri, one of Ms Whaitiri’s five children and the daughter of her late husband Wiremu Wirangi Whaitiri, who died in 2015.

The 86-year-old was born Mei Hiritia Te Kurroa Robin at Hastings Memorial Hospital on February 22, 1938, and was one of nine siblings. She was a student at Hukarere College in Napier when she was chosen as a model in 1951.

He spent his entire life in Hawke’s Bay, generally close to Kohupatiki Marae, Farndon Rd, Clive, and was taken for his tangihanga on Friday morning, where he was to be held with final rites at 11am on Sunday.

Photos of a traditional piupiu skirt and Mei and her mother’s hei tiki were sent to an Italian marble company and used to create a clay model. This model, along with the Italian model, was used in the construction of the bronze statue, whose weight is estimated to be 60 meters. -70kg and was announced by Prime Minister Sidney Holland on 10 June 1954.