Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — While death is often referred to as part of the natural order of our lives, it is not an easy thing to accept, especially by family members and friends, whether the departed were public figures or loved members of your family. Each loss is keenly felt and mourned, with the hope that time will heal the wound, and the void filled with good memories.

While American Samoa was spared in 2021 from deaths relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, that changed in 2022 after the deadly virus first recorded in the territory in February. The following month in March, the first COVID-19 related death was recorded for American Samoa and so far — as of press time — health officials has the cumulative total at 34 lives lost to COVID — and this has been the total since late August this year.

Tragic incidents also resulted in the loss of lives in 2022. For example on Apr. 10, a husband shot his wife and later killed himself. The wife survived and underwent surgery for gunshot wounds.

And last month, two men lost their lives after they reportedly fell overboard from a boat, while out palolo hunting.

Samoa News also reported this year, other incidents, such as the body of a woman found on the road in Kokoland and it was suspected she had a heart attack. And police confirmed the death of another woman, suspected of a heart attack in Lauli’i last week (See yesterday’s Samoa News edition on the case from Lauli’i).

Last month, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) reported that it recovered a body at Blunts Point in Gataivai. And EMS said that it was a suicide case.

Flags in American Samoa were ordered to half-staff by the governor to honor and pay respects for the victims of gun violence in the U.S. One mass shooting occurred in May when a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Texas killing 19 children and two teachers.

Flags were also lowered in the territory for the mass shooting which occurred on Independence Day, July 4, 2022, in Highland Park, Illinois. (Samoa News notes that national news agencies also reported other mass shootings in the U.S claiming the lives of many innocent people).

In September, American Samoa joined the rest of the world, to honor and pay tribute to  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away Sept. 08 at the age of 96.

Samoa News reported on the passing of loved ones in 2022 — with some of them passing away in the U.S. Families often put out official funeral announcements and these were shared with Samoans around the world from the Samoa News website and social media sites.

Some of those to be remembered in 2022 are Paramount Chief, Sen. Satele Galu Satele, who passed away in September; American Samoa athlete who represented the territory in Judo at the 2012 Olympic Games, Anthony Togimanu Kasa Liu who passed away in March in Texas; Samoa News publisher Vera Milovale Annesley who passed away last month; Port Administration director Christopher King, who also passed away last month; as well as former lawmakers, former cabinet members, traditional leaders and others.

Samoa News conveys its condolences to the families of all those who suffered a loved one passing on in 2022. May the Heavenly Father bring comfort to all those who lost loved ones, knowing that faith guides each of our lives within God’s grace.