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SINGAPORE – Ms. Doris Chua Kheng Geck was a planner and her obituary, which she had paid for herself, was prepared months before her death on March 20.
He even wrote it as a goodbye message to his loved ones, telling them as they read it that he was on his way to enjoying paradise.
She also apologized for her sudden departure and thanked family and friends for their love and kindness, writing, “Heaven had abundantly blessed me with many good things in life and I was very satisfied.”
Her family spoke to The Sunday Times at Ms. Chua’s Pasir Ris condo apartment last week and said they had specific requests about the position of her obituary page, and the size and location of her photograph.
I wanted his face to be near the top of the page, where the newspaper date was printed.
All of this did not come as a surprise to Ms. Chua’s family, who said that she was an independent woman.
Her sister-in-law, Madame Ivy Kuah, 60, said: “Doris liked to plan ahead and do things herself without disturbing anyone if she could help it. That is her character.”
“The only thing he left blank in his obituary was his age when he died (63) and the date of death.”
Chua had been diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer in 2018, shortly after her 60th birthday in February of that year.
But she had already prepared a will even before the disease struck.
He wanted his family to sell their three-bedroom Seastrand unit and donate the proceeds, valued at more than $ 1 million, to the nonprofit World Vision Singapore to help disadvantaged communities in Africa.
The family said they have not finished examining the will for any remaining assets.
Chua’s older brother Eric, 65, said he had started thinking about helping African communities in 2015 after reading books about Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa and anti-apartheid icon. He decided on World Vision after some research.
In 2016, he sponsored an Ethiopian girl, who was then 10 years old. The girl will continue to be sponsored until she turns 18, in accordance with Ms. Chua’s wishes.
When Ms. Chua told her family that she was sponsoring an African child, some responded by jokingly asking if it was a scam.
Eric, a retired IT consultant, said: “But she has always been independent. We knew she had done her own research.”
In December 2017, Ms Chua visited the girl in Ethiopia and, upon her return, wanted her home to help the disadvantaged in Africa.
Ms Chua explained in a video posted by World Vision Singapore in 2019: “This is in the hope that I can help children in Africa have a higher chance of receiving an education to help their country. I am just doing my small part. “
A World Vision spokesperson told The Sunday Times: “We are extremely grateful and moved by Doris’s care for the poor and her desire to help vulnerable children. Her legacy will impact many children in Africa seeking better education for them. out of poverty. “
Chua’s nephew, Desmond Cai, 39, who works in the maritime industry, said his aunt has always had a heart for children. The fourth of seven siblings, she was divorced and had no children.
Ms. Chua opened her own child care center before leaving to become a private Chinese teacher, a more manageable line of work. She had been a tutor for about 10 years when the cancer struck. She stopped studying after high school and then lived in the United States for a time with her then-husband, who had a work relationship. It was also there that he obtained a diploma in early childhood education. The couple divorced after returning to Singapore.
Madame Kuah said: “He stopped teaching because he had to go for treatment and chemotherapy. But he kept in touch with his students and parents through a WhatsApp chat group. He sent them weekly updates on how he was doing.”
His family thought his condition was improving after chemotherapy. She was even able to catch the train alone to meet them for lunch at her favorite hawker center on Old Airport Road.
But in August of last year, Ms. Chua felt dizzy and had blurred vision. The tests revealed seven tumors in his brain as the cancer had spread.
His health deteriorated rapidly, Eric said.
“We wanted to go on a cruise with her in December, but we couldn’t because she was bedridden.”
Ms. Chua spent her final months at St Andrew Community Hospital, where her family visited her almost daily. He did not want to seek further treatment as it was expensive with no guaranteed results and he had prepared an advance directive expressing those wishes.
Ms. Chua, who was fond of cross stitching, used the time she had left to knit coasters and neck and hand warmers as keepsakes for friends and family.
Madam Kuah said, “He did it until his fingers were too swollen and his eyesight was very bad.”
Ms. Chua had even ordered that each family member receive a personal file with a request from her. For example, Mr. Cai was tasked with administrative tasks such as canceling his telecommunications services, while Ms. Kuah was in charge of looking after Ms. Chua’s assistant, hired about two years ago.
Ms. Kuah added: “Doris was very worried about her because she is from Myanmar and it is not a good time for her to go back to her country. She asked me to speak with her agent to arrange a transfer (to another employer).
“That’s how she was: thoughtful, loving and determined.”
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