Holman (Apr 14/03) - A well-respected local elder, fiddler and story-teller died suddenly March 25.

John Kuneyuna died a few days after he returned from a sport hunt. He had just celebrated his 66th birthday on March 2.

His family is still awaiting the final results of an autopsy report, but his eldest daughter, Agnes Aleekuk, said preliminary tests indicated he died of a heart attack.

Kuneyuna was a talented musician who had mastered the fiddle, and often visited Helen Kalvak school to read with the children.

"He would come into the school a couple of times a week and read Inuinaqtun books with the students," said teacher Frieda Maaskant.

Holman Community Corporation chair Joseph Haluksit said Kuneyuna was a director of the HCC and chair of the elders committee.

"He has done a lot of things for the community. He was really active and he was involved with the church," he said.

Aleekuk said her father retired from his hamlet position as a sewage truck driver last year. Since then he had been spending a lot of time out on the land as a sport hunting guide.

She said he was very well-liked and soft-spoken.

"He was very quiet but he was nice to all people. He taught us kids to be nice to everybody and that's the way he was.

"He always had kind words to say about people. He was the best," said Aleekuk.