Posted on: Saturday, April 14, 2001

Services for Nick Ma'afala set for Friday

Advertiser Staff

Funeral services for Nick "Big Nick" Sene Ma'afala, a former University of Hawai'i football player who died April 7, will be held Friday at Borthwick Mortuary. Ma'afala was 33.

Ma'afala was diagnosed with leukemia last year and received a bone marrow transplant from his sister, Leimomi, earlier this year. The transplant at first seemed to have been successful, but Nick Ma'afala's health worsened and he died at St. Francis Medical Center.

Ma'afala was a graduate of McKinley High School and a defensive lineman for UH in 1985 and 1986. He played semi-pro football and worked as an assistant coach at McKinley in 1999.

He is survived by his wife, Shannon; daughter, Ceslie; sons, Sene and Nick Jr.; mother, Luisa; brother, Albert, Tenari, Benson, Roy, and Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala; sisters, Puao Brown, Katherine Ieru, Naomi Ma'afala-Maiava, and Tanya Fuamatu-Ma'afala.

Visitation will be from 5-9 p.m. Friday at Borthwick Mortuary with a service at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will be again from 8-11:30 a.m. next Saturday at Borthwick Mortuary, with a service at 10 a.m. Burial will be at noon next Saturday at Hawaiian Memorial Park Cemetery.