But they now wanted people to know the little girl was among those affected by the tragedy.
"She's doing all right. She lives in [Kava's native] Tonga and she's finally accepted it but I think we won't tell her about the court [charge] ... until the end."
Kava was standing at the back of the charter boat during an evening cruise when he fell backwards into the water.
At the time, friends on board said Kava fell when a ramp gave way.
Red Boats owner Andrew Somers said at the time the ramp wasn't broken and staff had later tested it.
He didn't know how the ramp, usually locked and tied in place, became unlocked and untied, Somers said last June.
The matter is before the coroner, and an inquest will take place at a later date.
Tevita Kava died when he fell from a party cruise boat in June last year. Photo / Supplied
Somers said this week he did not yet know enough about the charge to comment.
The company will make its first appearance on June 20 in the Waitākere District Court.
Speedy said family were distressed at the time it had taken for a charge to be laid, but it was a relief that something was happening.
The feeling was still bittersweet though, she said.
"Even though it's going to court, it's still not going to bring Tevita back to us."
As well as Kava's daughter, his sister, Mary-Rose Telua, had also struggled with his death.
"They were like two peas in a pod. She went into shut down. She's doing all right now."
Speedy's own mother - who treated Kava like a son, as Speedy had treated him like a brother - became emotional when she heard Red Boats had been charged.
"It's the first time I've seen her break down since it happened ... we lost our brother, that's the hurting part."
