Maru Maniapoto said his father was dedicated to his country, his culture, his family, rugby and making those around him laugh.
"He was a guy that would always talk to strangers and get them laughing," he said.
"If people were sick or down he'd cheer them up by cracking a joke, he was just a genuinely good fella."
During his lifetime Mr Maniapoto also made a mark on the local rugby scene.
He came from a family known for rugby, with three of his brothers representing the Maori All Blacks, and spent years playing for Whakarewarewa, his son said.
He also played for Southern Maori.
"He was a hard-out rugby fan, and played a few championship games in the 50s. He loved anything rugby related."
Over the years Mr Maniapoto worked in freezing works, as a school teacher, and spent some time working in Mt Maunganui on the wharf, his son said.
"I think everywhere he went, he touched those around him. He meant a great deal to a lot of people."
His son said Mr Maniapoto, of Ngati Tuwharetoa and Te Arawa descent, also had a love for his marae, his culture and the Maori language.
One of his five daughters, singer songwriter Moana Maniapoto, will return from Glasgow for her father's service. She was one of a group of performers taking part in the Boomerang Project, running alongside the Commonwealth Games.
