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Faithful servant of God heads home
William Brown Turei (12 December 1924 – 9 January 2017) was the Archbishop, Te Pihopa o Aotearoa/Bishop of Aotearoa (senior bishop of the Maori Tikanga) and Primate/Te Pihopa Mataamua of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. He shared the primacy with Philip Richardson, archbishop for the New Zealand dioceses, and Winston Halapua, Bishop of Polynesia.
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Childhood and education
Turei was born in 1924 in Opotiki, to the Waititi whānau. He became a whāngai to the Turei whanau in Cape Runaway, on the East Cape. He was named after the Reverend Brown Turei, a Hāhi Mihinare priest on the east coast.
He spent his primary school years at Rangitukia and Cape Runaway and studied at Te Aute College for four years. He briefly attended College House, Christchurch, before enlisting with C Company of the 28 Maori Battalion to serve in World War II. After the war he attended St John's College, Auckland and was ordained a priest in 1950.
On 15 October 2009 Turei was selected by Te Aute College to be a part of its 1st XV leaders group. The honour is given to former pupils over the age of 55 who have made a significant contribution to Māori society. Turei attended Te Aute College from 1939 to 1943.
Ordained ministry
Turei served the Anglican Church in parishes and Maori pastorates in Tauranga, Whangara, Te Puke, Whakatane, Manutuke, Christchurch and Waipatu. He was appointed Archdeacon of Tairāwhiti in 1982 and has had a long association with Hukarere Girls College, becoming chaplain there in 1984. He was also chaplain of the Napier Prison for four years.
In 1992 Turei was elected as Te Pihopa ki Te Tai Rawhiti, following the reforms of the Anglican Church in 1990. In February 2006 he was elected to succeed Whakahuihui Vercoe as Pihopa o Aotearoa, at a hui at Turangawaewae, and on May 11 he was installed and appointed co-presiding Bishop of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia alongside David Moxon and Jabez Leslie Bryce.
In August 2016 Turei announced that he would retire as Bishop of Tairawhiti by the year's end, and as Maori archbishop in March 2017. However, he died before that date, on 9 January 2017. He was 92 years old.
Family
Turei was married to Mihi (née King) and they had three children.