Tribute to Angie

Dearest Relatives and friends,

On behalf of Angie’s mother, Angie’s siblings, Miaw and Casey, my 3 beautiful children; Ysabel, Lucas and Julia, I would like to thank all of you for coming and bidding farewell to my beloved wife, Angie.

I would also like to thank my dearest friends, Arthur, Mike, Steven and Desmond who accompanied me during the nights at Angie’s wake. Thanks for always being there for me.

To Maria, Richard and Catherine, you will always have a special place in our hearts.

Most of all, I would like to thank Angie’s closest friends, the special group of mommies who help carry out Angie’s funeral plan meticulously, making the celebration of Angie’s life, a truly memorable one. In no particular order, I would like to thank Cat, Cara, Gladys, Grace, June, Lani, Lenny, Phoebe, Sharon, Sophia for your graciousness, your generosity, your unconditional friendship and love.

Angie’s fight with cancer started 3 years ago in March 06 and deteriorated greatly on 19th March this year. During that time, the cancer in her breast had spread to her bones, her lung and her liver. Worse still, the cancer cells had gone to the blood stream and were causing her blood to clot within her. Angie was not expected to live past the week. With God’s mercy and grace, Angie fought hard and eventually checked out of the hospital 14 days later on the 3rd of April. However, by then Angie’s condition was not any better, her liver was not functioning well, her skin was turning yellow from jaundice, her legs had swelled, making it very difficult for her to walk and she was still on chemotherapy via a portable pump, she had to carry on her in a sling .

I remember very clearly, how after a visit to the doctor on the 9th of April, she felt like eating rojak and we went to Old Airport Road for their famous rojak. After eating, I asked how the rojak was and she replied it was ok and that she would like to make one with a different style.

The next day, we went to the Tampines market where she shopped for all the groceries she needed for the rojak. And promptly made them in the same afternoon for tea. Needless to say, it was great. This was followed up 2 days later, this time it was Indian rojak, probably since the hawker stall in Geylang Serai was closed.

All these were done despite her inability to walk normally and the endless discerning stares from passer-bys. She was undaunted by these and persevered with dignity and poise, wanting to live life to the fullest and seizing every moment.

The funeral arrangements were planned by Angie, with help from the special group of people I mentioned earlier; from the dress she wore to the colour of the coffin, the lipstick, the obituary in the papers, for gospel music to be played throughout, etc. to the green memorial book she left for our 3 beautiful children, which also included space where you, her friends could also pen words down.

I was somewhat disturbed when she planned to have a meeting with her friends on the 5th of April regarding the funeral arrangements. Here we were, praying every day for God’s mercy and grace of healing while there she was planning her funeral. I voiced my concerns to her initially but a day later, it dawned on me that “talking or planning about one’s death doesn’t mean you’re going to die”, I just wished that the timing could be a little better. But we both agreed that after the planning was done, the funeral arrangements would be kept in storage, and that we would continue to ask for God’s mercy and grace.

My Darling Angie, Your strength to fight cancer and live through it as though it was something mundane is nothing short of extraordinary.

Your courage to plan and prepare for your own funeral, to write farewell letters to each of your children not forgetting all of us, speaks volumes of a person filled with wisdom and understanding.

Despite all your afflictions, your joy for life showed whenever you smiled and in the boundless energy that you possess.

We will always feel cheated that you were taken from us at so young an age and yet we must be grateful that you came along at all. Now that you are gone, we can truly appreciate what we are now without, and we want you to know that life without you is so very, very difficult. But the strength that you possess, have inspired us with the strength to move forward.

I am so fortunate and blessed to have you for my wife and thank you for giving me the privilege and honour to be your husband. My exceptional and irreplaceable Angie, whose beauty is both internal and external, will never be forgotten.

Yours forever,
Rem