He will be buried alongside members of his whanau who have gone before him.
In accordance with the wishes of his immediate family he will lie at his Ohinemutu home tonight before being carried the few metres to Tamatekapua, the premier meeting house of Te Arawa where his public tangi will be held tomorrow from about 10am.
Tuesday has been chosen for Sir Howard's farewell to allow his numerous relatives and friends from overseas the opportunity to farewell him.
Family spokesman Temuera Morrison said his uncle's farewell would be a "huge celebration of a great life".
"Uncle would like it like that. He had the great ability to see celebration in everything. This is the way he wanted to go." He said it had already become obvious that Sir Howard was a very popular man. "So many accolades are already flowing in -- the phone is ringing red hot." His uncle had died peacefully in bed at his own home.
"He's got a little smile on his face that he happened to go when he was here at home in his village of Ohinemutu." Temuera Morrison said a number of Ohinemutu residents had noted that a "funny kind of surreal mist" had been hanging over the village at the time of Sir Howard's passing.
"Maybe he hopped on that, crossed the waters (of Lake Rotorua) and visited Mokoia Island as he started his great journey onward." (Lead to follow)
