A tragic event unfolded in Colleyville over the weekend as a house fire claimed the lives of Salesi and Sela Havea, a couple with deep roots in the Tongan community and a legacy of faith and service. WFAA reports the fire department received an emergency call shortly after 10 a.m. to a residence on Sweetbriar Lane. Upon arrival, they encountered heavy flames and undertook efforts to rescue the Haveas, but were ultimately unable to save the couple.
The family's patriarch, 78-year-old Rev. Dr. Salesi "Charles" Havea, was a significant figure in the Tongan religious community, as noted by his daughter in a CBS News interview. “He stood strong in his faith, and that, I knew growing up, he was our father, but in the sense that he was everybody's father because he really did care so much about everybody," she remembered. His wife, Sela, aged 77, was an equally important presence, described as "gentle and loving." The Haveas are survived by three sons and a daughter, two of whom, Sione and Kisione Havea, survived the fire but sustained injuries requiring hospitalization.
Contributions to the community were central to the Haveas' lives, with Rev. Dr. Salesi Havea's impactful tenure as president of the Tongan Wesleyan Church of America and prior service in the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga. These commitments echo the loss felt not just by kin but by an entire network of lives touched by their endeavors.
