Hans Kruse
| Birth name | Hans Edward Kruse | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 6 January 1930 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Asau, Samoa | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | October 2, 2021 (aged 91) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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Hans Edward Kruse OS (6 January 1930 – 2 October 2021)[1] was a Samoan civil servant, actor, and rugby player.
Kruse was from Asau on Savai'i.[2] He was educated at Marist Brothers Primary School in Mulivai, Sacred Heart College, Auckland, and Thailand University.[clarification needed][2] As a young man he acted in the films Return to Paradise[3] and Pacific Destiny. In 1953 he married Moana Meredith.[4] In 1963 he captained the Samoa national rugby union team at the 1963 South Pacific Games.[5][6]
He later worked as a civil servant, for the Public Service Commission, Customs Department, broadcasting service and as Director for the Department of Economic Development.[7] In the private sector, he established a tobacco factory and Samoa Breweries.[5][8] He then served on the board of the Central Bank of Samoa.[5]
Kruse was appointed an Officer of the Order of Samoa in the 2017 Samoa Honours and Awards.[5] On his death in 2021 he was given a state funeral.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ "Hans Edward Kruse farewelled". Talamua Online. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
- ^ a b Tina Mata'afa-Tufele (5 October 2021). "Samoa bids farewell to Hans Kruse". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
- ^ "The welcome mat is out in Samoa for 50th anniversary celebration of movie Return to Paradise". RNZ. 5 November 2003. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ "Meredith-Kruse Wedding". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. XXIV, no. 2. 1 September 1953. p. 53. Retrieved 26 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c d Sarafina Sanerivi (5 February 2017). "Samoa pays tribute to pioneers". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "Hans Kruse Samoa". ESPN. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ a b Bethel Peato Ale (7 October 2021). "A fond farewell to a Samoan pioneer". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Vailima Brewery Launches Breadfruit Beer, Vailima Natural". Pacific Islands Report. 28 October 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
External links[edit]
- Hans Kruse at IMDb
- Player statistics at ESPNscrum
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