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Abdullah Noordin
Date of Birth: 25-1-1907
2 Born the second of 7 children.
5 Number of children (2 deceased). 19, number of
grandchildren, 53, number of great-grandchildren.
1 Wife (deceased).
Pak Abdullah passed away peacefully at 12.01am. Friends and family had started gathering from early afternoon the previous day. By evening prayers, visitors who had come to say their final farewells had spilt onto the driveway outside the modest terrace house. Said his youngest grandchild, Madam Siti Raisha, 47, 'Everyone knew him. You could almost call him an information centre for the community. If you wanted to know anything, just come to atuk. That's what we all would say, as children.'
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T.T. Chye (born February 1951)
Note in obituary: No flowers please. Friends of T.T. who wish to make a donation in his memory should follow the instructions at the following website: www.afa.org.sg/ttcmemorialfund.htm.
Blog Entry (23-7-07)
'I fell in love with Ian McKellen at boarding school. Watching Aleksei Arbuzov's The Promise at the Fortune Theatre, London. Who cared about Judi Dench? Ian on Ian1, that would have been the dream coupling. The train ride from Winchester was worth every penny.
Last weekend - it was magical to see him (almost) up close and personal again after 43 years - in Singapore, on-stage2. Magnificent gone bonkers scene. And tonight, what a treat! Sir Ian was at that WildRice production3. Afterwards, H got someone to introduce us briefly. I was feeling a little wiped out. Otherwise, would have gone partying with them to Zouk (I hear he stayed till late). What's that they say? It's true. I can die happy now.'
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Foo Yu Lien, Jenny (2-5-01)
Cause of death: Accident4 on PIE between the car in which the child was travelling (a 2003 Toyota Camry) and a truck owned by Daming Lighting and Designer Furnishings Pte Ltd. Jenny was killed instantaneously.
Her parents, Timothy Foo, 31, and Chin Lye Lin, 29, were pronounced dead upon arrival at Toa Payoh Hospital. The driver of the truck was unharmed, although the cargo (chandeliers) suffered substantial damage. Police are investigating the matter. No arrests have been made at this time.
Jenny was a happy child, many say. Always laughing. She adored Troy Bolton.5
The wake for the Foo family will be held at St Ignatius.
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Someone once claimed (a divine condescending): 'I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.'6
Valuing each life, taken at its prime, I prefer this definition: a natural number, a quantity divisible by only one and itself.7
1. Ian McShane played Marat, one of three orphans in a love triangle - Judi Dench played Lika and McKellen Leonidik.
2. King Lear. 19-21 July 2007. Esplanade Theatre.
3. Asian Boys 3. 11-29 July 2007. Drama Centre.
4. From Wikipedia: 'Car crashes - also called road traffic accidents (RTAs), traffic collisions, auto accidents, road accidents, personal injury collisions, motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) - kill an estimated 1.2 million people worldwide each year, and injure about 40 times this number (WHO, 2004). In most cars, occupants have a two to eight per cent chance of death in a two-vehicle accident.'
5. Zac Efron's character in the Disney High School Musical series.
6. Quote attributed to Jesus of Nazareth. Source: The Bible, John 10:10, New International Version.
7. Some prime numbers: 3, 1907, 2, 7, 5, 19, 53, 1201, 47, 23, 7, 43, 2003, 31, 29 and 251.
El
Eleanor Wong, 44, is a playwright and an associate professor with the National University of Singapore's law faculty.