• pigduck
• Oct 21,2007
• In: Family, Spiritual Affairs

In Loving Memory - Older Sister’s Eulogy

Che Che’s eulogy that she read out during Papa’s wake:-

I grew up like every other little girl – thinking her father is a hero. My dad was very clever – he had all the answers to my endless questions about how the body works and the names of all the animals in God’s kingdom and how many colours there are in a rainbow. He instilled the love of learning and knowledge and how to always be a better person in me. He was my math tutor, from teaching me how to tell the time in Primary 1 to algebra and mathematical integration and differentiation during my O-levels. He was so clever, he could fix anything in the house, from broken lamps to radios to leaking pipes to clogged toilets – he had an amazing toolbox that could put everything that was broken right again. My dad taught me how to love books – he read aloud to me every single night before bed. We went from Peter and Jane to Read-It-Yourselfs to Enid Blyton together. My dad was also the bravest man I knew. He wasn’t afraid of anything – not of the dark, not of the ghosts in my closet, nothing. I felt so safe with him – I could jump down from anywhere and know that he would catch me – and he always did without fail. No one could hurt me when I was with him. He was the coolest and most fun dad I knew because he played games with us – we played video games, remote control cars, battery-operated motorbike, inflatable swimming pool, foldable bicycles, board games. He played Scrabble with my mum every night for years and they used to keep a running tally. I don’t know who won in the end but everyone’s vocabulary improved immensely afterwards. We went boating in Lake Gardens, we climbed Batu Caves, we went on picnics at waterfalls, we drove to the beach, we went fishing, we made and flew kites in big open spaces. As a family, we took very long happy holidays overseas every single year. I had the coolest dad growing up and I wanted to be just like him when I grew up.

And today, he is still my hero. I have learnt and am still learning so much from my dad – his kindness, selflessness and generosity, sense of humour, loyalty and dedication. My dad had the kindest and most giving soul – he had a tough exterior but he was a real softie with a pure heart inside. He was always the life of every party and used to make everyone laugh and smile with his jokes and cheerful disposition. Those of you who knew him well would agree with me that he was also extremely loyal – he was fiercely protective of everyone he loved. He showed his love not through words but through the things, big and small, that he did for people. He can be depended upon to do everything that was asked of him and even things that needn’t be asked. He always gave and gave and never expected anything in return. Many of you have shared your fond memories of my dad with me and made me realize that he had lent a generous helping hand to so many people without needing or wanting anything back in return. I was and still am touched by his dedication to his family and friends.

The love my dad had for his family was unconditional – his wife and daughters could do no wrong. We were always his princesses and precious angels. My dad never asked or pushed me to do anything – not in my studies or my career. He was happy when we were happy. I always tried to do my best so that my dad didn’t have to worry and to thank him for never imposing on me and for working so hard to give me a good education and everything that I ever needed. I am so thankful to the Lord for blessing Wendy, Carmen and I with an earthly father who embodied so many beautiful Christ-like attributes. He could not have sent a better father to teach and to protect us while we’re here. I am so proud to be his daughter, to be told that I am like him because that’s one of the greatest compliments anyone could pay me.

As most of you know, my dad battled with myelodysplastic syndrome for a year before he was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year. It was not an easy journey. He was so brave through it all. He fought the battle not for himself – not because he was selfish – he did it for us – for my mum and for his daughters. He worried that we wouldn’t know how to take care of ourselves because he had always provided for us and taken care of everything at home. We never needed to do or worry about anything – papa did all the worrying. So he prayed long and hard for the Lord to give him a little bit more time to make sure that everything at home will be well once he leaves. His doctors credited him with an amazing fighting spirit given what he had gone through. It was not easy going for chemo after chemo, trying one drug after another, one more procedure after the next. Amazingly, he could still smile and joke and comfort us through his ordeal. His body was physically tired but God blessed him with a strong spirit and tremendous will.

I am reminded again that God is always in control of the situation. He has blessed us with a wonderful wonderful family – my uncles, aunties and cousins – all of whom have been a tremendous source of love, especially Uncle Koon Swan and Aunty Penny who were also pillars of strength and support. Uncle Koon Swan had been like a father to my dad for so many years and my dad had the greatest love and respect for him. I thank the Lord that I was given the chance to spend quality time over the last few months with my dad while he was staying with me in Singapore. I thank the Lord for delivering all the blood and platelet donors when my dad needed them. Thank you all for your precious blood and platelets, support and prayers – you have given my family the extra time to spend quality time with my dad until we all meet again. While he will be greatly missed, I am grateful that he is now in a much happier place and that he no longer needs to fight so hard. He had truly fought the battle, finished the race and kept the faith, and God has awarded him his crown of righteousness.