Well-loved disabled artist will be missed
Family, friends and fellow artists are mourning the sudden passing of local and much loved Papatoetoe disabled artist Tommy Waru.

Tommy, 52, passed away suddenly on Friday while in hospital for kidney failure and was said not to have suffered. The funeral was held yesterday at The Memorial Gardens in Papatoetoe and was attended by family, friends and other disabled artists.

Grant Sharman, a fellow MFPA member and friend of Tommy’s for almost thirty years said that Tommy was a very social person and led a very full life.

“As well as being a talented artist and having resounding success with his paintings, Tom was a very engaging man, always interested in what people were up to.

“He was also very fond of kids and had many nieces and nephews that he adored.

“Tom gave us a lot of hope. Even though a lot of things happened to him, he always bounced back.

“Tom was part of an important team that consisted of him and his wife Raewyn. He touched a lot of people and will be greatly missed,” Grant said.

Tommy, an Associate Member of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA), began painting with a brush held in his mouth after he broke his back diving into shallow water more than thirty years ago.

He was an extremely talented and well respected artist who recently won first place in the prestigious Bruce Hopkins Memorial Art Award and also had his paintings featured in the MFPA range of gift cards many times throughout the years.

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Released for MFPA by Dennis Rutzou Public Relations.
For further information contact Marie Tritsaris on 612 9413 4244.