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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 15 (EMN): Centenarian Kevehu Thisa, Nagaland’s oldest pensioner, breathed his last on Saturday night and was laid to rest on Sunday at his native village in Thenyizumi under Phek district.
Born in January 1917, Thisa was also the oldest person in Thenyizumi village since November 2019. He is survived by his wife, seven children and grandchildren.
Kevehu Thisa joined the government service as a teacher at Dzulhami village in 1953 and was transferred to Government High School at Chetheba in 1954.
He took a service break from 1956 to 1958 and went on to serve as office assistant in Brigadier Vesazo and Rakhusüh HQ of NNC at Porba, owing to the Indo-Naga war. Subsequently he rejoined the government service in 1959.
As an educationist, he has been credited with awards and honours viz. district award for best teacher, Kohima district in 1964, state-level award for best teacher in 1970 and also national level award for best teacher in 1975.
He then retired from active service in 1987 as head teacher. He contributed to the society as general secretary of Phek district pensioner’s association, general secretary of farmers’ association Phek district, and general secretary of GB’s association Phek district.
He served as pastor of Thenyizumi Baptist Church and Chetheba Baptist Church and also served as head deacon and deacon of Thenyizumi Baptist Church, amongst other responsibilities.
He was declared as the state’s oldest pensioner in the Nagaland in the year 2018 by the department of Information and Public Relations in its publication ‘The Warriors.’
Moreover, on October 1, 2020, on the occasion of International day of older persons, the department of Social Welfare conferred Thisa with the district–level senior citizen award in recognition of his service rendered to the society.