The life and legacy of Pioneer agriculturalist and founder and CEO of the NGIP Agmark Ltd, the late John Nightingale, was celebrated on Saturday April 15 and Tuesday April 18 2023 in Kokopo; three years after his passing in 2020.
John was also the heartbeat of the East New Britain provincial rugby league flagship the Agmark Rabaul Gurias. He was affectionately known as Papa Guria.
‘Papa Guria’ was the founder and Managing Director of Agmark Pacific ltd until the merger with NGIP Co Ltd in 2005 a position he held until his passing on May 19, 2020, aged 73.
As founding sponsor of the Agmark Rabaul Gurias for the next 29 years, Gurias was the forerunner and benchmark team of the country’s semi -professional rugby league competition, PNG National Rugby League Competition.
The Gurias dominance and overwhelming popularity is owed to this passionate rugby league man. For the record, Gurias under John’s leadership holds a record 15 grand final appearances; 6 premierships (2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2012 and 2015) title wins and 9 times runners-up (1999, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022). A remarkable record in the country premier national rugby league competition history that still stands today.
On another front, John had 47 years of experience in the Agriculture industry, as pioneer cocoa and coconut plantation owner. He was a cocoa and coffee trader, coastal shipping owner, agriculture and hardware, steel fab, and general engineering and ship repair through Agmark Group.
John would be best remembered for his foresight and quick reaction to come up with intervention plans through his Agmark Company to combat and eradicate the cocoa pod borer pest when it first hit East New Britain in 2006 that literally saved the agriculture industry mainly cocoa production in the region.
To summarize, the late ‘Papa Guria’ was a man of simplicity, a humble father figure, a mentor and a faithful caring loving father and grandfather.
Three years on after his passing, a special memorial, celebrating John’s life and legacy, was held on Saturday April 15 at his beloved Gurias home turf the Kalabond oval. In attendance at the memorial were staff of Agmark Group, business partners, family friends and current and former Guria players who joined the Nightingale family, widow Derrie, sons James and Steven and daughter Nemicah and grandchildren.
The dignitaries included Nick Lyons from RMI, longtime friend and fellow businessman Peter Humphreys, former NGIP Agmark company employees Ben Irima and company secretary Junias Tamur, and former Guria mentor and now ENB Governor Michael Marum.
The Memorial Day had displays of John’s memorabilia and portrait, tributes that concluded with beautiful hymns from the choir groups to bless the day.
The memorial was followed on Tuesday 18th April with a traditional Tolai breaking of shell money or kutu tabu ceremony tubuan ritual. This was a fitting tolai ritual to pay special tribute and respect to John for his love, care and dedication to his wife’s “tunatarai” or tolai clan until his passing.
John’s traditional shell money breaking ceremony took place at the family residence, Guanantabu, Kokopo town. The ceremony started with a traditional tubuan convoy performing rituals in memory of John’s life and his contribution to the family, the clan, the community and the province as a whole.
The kutu tabu brought together colleagues, friends and relatives to celebrate John’s life.
The ceremony concluded with performances by tubuans called “langlangur”.