President S R Nathan, 84, penned these words in a condolence book after he paid his respects to former MP Ho See Beng on Wednesday afternoon.

He spent half an hour with family members and friends at Mr Ho's semi-detached home in Joo Chiat, recalling the memories he shared with a man he considered the long-time stalwart of the labour movement and co-founder of the National Trades Union Congress.

They had known each other since their youth, Mr Ho's youngest daughter, MP Ho Geok Choo, 52, told The Straits Times.

Mr Ho was then a dispenser in the medical practice of a Dr Thumboo, an uncle of President Nathan, she said.

Later, when Mr Ho was building up the NTUC movement, Mr Nathan was the director of its labour research unit.

Mr Ho, 90, died last Friday night after a long illness. He is survived by his 86-year-old wife, five children, 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Since then, scores of people have been streaming to his home to pay their last respects, including Cabinet ministers, former and present MPs, as well as unionists and members of the public.

'With deepest respect for a pioneer leader, comrade and inspiration for all of us. Thank you,' wrote Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in the condolence book.

Former MP and unionist Eric Cheong wrote: 'A very dedicated union leader with lots of fire in his belly.'

And one Hannah Wong, who worked with Mr Ho when he served on the board of the Economic Development Board, wrote: 'Thank you, Mr Ho, for being the best boss I ever had.'

Madam Ho said several members of the public including a 91-year-old man had also turned up to express their gratitude to her father for his help some 30 years ago when he was MP for Bras Basah and later Khe Bong, a ward with many one-room Housing Board flats.

They included a 91-year-old coffeeshop owner who had been fined for putting tables along the corridor, but whom Mr Ho helped to get his fine waived. Then there was a letter from a woman named Wu Zhongqing, delivered by her relatives to the wake.

In it, she described in Chinese how Mr Ho helped got approval for her father to migrate here from Indonesia.

She wrote that her mother, who is now 95, had knelt down before Mr Ho when he came around for a walkabout in Bras Basah at the time, and Mr Ho fulfilled his promise to help her.

The funeral service for Mr Ho will be held on Thursday at 1.30pm at St Andrew's Cathedral. He will be cremated at Mandai Crematorium.