In Memory of Our Unstoppable Mom

Passed away peacefully at 8.06pm Tuesday 6 Nov 2012   

Her last words, 'I don't want people to cry at my funeral coz I will be at a better place and there is no pain!'  Geok Lee

Wake is at the multi-purpose hall(93A) beside Blk 95 Commonwealth Drive, Singapore

Coffin for viewing can be done anytime during the week until 3.45pm on Friday 9 Nov

Program planned :

Church Service : 8pm - 9.30pm  Thursday, 8 Nov
(buffet dinner at 6pm)

Encoffin Service : 3.45pm on Friday , 9 Nov

Cortege leaves for Mandai  : 4.15pm Friday 9 Nov (Bus is provided)

Cremation at Mandai Crematorium, Hall 2 : 5.15pm Friday 9 Nov

Return to Blk 95 Commonwealth Drive

More photos of the funeral services are found in the album here.

Church Funeral Service, 8pm Thursday, 08 Nov 2012

The children felt Mom would love to hear them sing at her funeral and so a number was put together at the site of the Wake on the last day before a cortege would leave for the Crematorium. Han was away on his mission and could only express himself via email with a request to play his composed music as shared below.

From the Wake near the residence, we proceeded to the Mandai Crematorium. Each of the children had a chance to speak and share their feelings about their mother before viewing the cremation procedure. The only exception is Han the oldest who had left on July 28 this year to serve a voluntary 2 year mission for our Church in Manchester, UK. 

I had sent an email to his Mission President(refer to Han's mission journal) saying that we wouldn't mind if he did not come home for his mother's funeral. The reasons being that he is on the Lord's errand now and that he knows he is in the right place at the right time for this moment. Furthermore, he had the opportunity to speak to his Mom by phone in the afternoon before she passed away arranged by his Mission President so that would suffice.

Han was allowed to email back to the family and he wanted his letter to be published with his music to be played so here it is :

A few years ago, during one of my late night chats with Mom, she expressed to me her desire for a "happy" funeral, in which we would celebrate her life more than we would mourn her death. She wanted it to be a time for us to remember all our happy memories with her.

Hence, I write these words in memory of the wonderful mother Mom was for us.

Mom nurtured the best in each of us. She knew what our talents were and always gave us opportunities to develop them.

When I was 9, I was caught doodling in class and my teacher confiscated my drawings. Years later, Mom told me that my teacher had shown her these drawings, presumably expecting mom to punish me.

However, Mom told me that all she felt was how impressed she was by my drawings. During my teenage years I spent many school nights drawing past midnight, to which Mom never raised any objections. In fact, Mom became my most trusted critic for nearly all my works. Along the way she also gave me many tips and taught me many techinques based on what she had learnt in college.

Such was Mom's attitude towards each of her children's talents. She rejoiced with us when we found success, and encouraged us when we were facing difficulties.

The only time Mom strongly discouraged me from embarking on a particular artistic pursuit was when I informed her that I had decided to take up A Level Music "for fun". Perhaps that wasn't a very strong reason for my decision, because Mom made repeated attempts to dissuade me from taking up A Level Music. She had heard from her close friend who has a PhD in Music that A Level Music would be a very demanding and stressful course not to be flirted with. (She couldn't have been more correct, for in hindsight, I am convinced that I left behind a good portion of my sanity in the music classroom) Nevertheless, Mom gave me the freedom to make my own decision, and I so I went ahead with it.

The counsel given by Mom's friend proved true, for I quickly began to drown in the rigours of the course. However, Mom was always there to support me; she encouraged me and reminded me to stay positive. In the end, not only was I able to hone my musical skills, but I was also able to develop a stronger bond with Mom.

Music always meant a lot to Mom. She recounted to me her experience as a youth who joined the church Stake Choir while she was learning about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Holy Ghost confirmed to her the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel as she was singing the hymn "Joseph Smith's First Prayer". Since then it became Mom's dream to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. She realised her dream just 2 years ago when she went to the States for Jiejie's wedding. What a joy it must have been for her to sing with them as a visitor!

Today, Mom has left behind a legacy of music in the family, a legacy which has brought much joy to us and those around us. Most importantly, however, is the legacy of Mom's testimony of the Restored Gospel. Mom raised each of us in the knowledge of the Restored Gospel.

She has taught us to always put God first, no matter the cost.

Although I am thousands of miles away in the blessed land of England, I know that I am where both Mom and our Lord want me to be. The Restored Gospel has given our family an assurance that we will be reunited with Mom after this life as long as we keep the covenants we have made with God. On the other hand, there are so many people who do not have this same knowledge that families can be eternal through God's plan. Mom raised all of us knowing that each of us are children of our Heavenly Father, and it has always been her wish that each of us would be able to share with others the same message that changed life - that Jesus is the Christ and that through Him we can overcome all things, even death.

I am proud to be on the Lord's errand at this time. I am inexpressibly grateful for the amazing mother He gave me on this Earth, and nothing I can do will sufficiently repay Him for this blessing. Mom lived and died with an unshakeable knowledge of her identity as His daughter, and as an earthly mother and steward of 6 of His children. She knew her responsibilities and fulfilled them well. Although her labour of love in this brief mortality has come to a close, her influence will forever live on in each of us.

In us lives her testimony that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Redeemer who has broken the chains of death; in us lives her testimony that through Heavenly Father's marvelous Plan of Happiness we can be reunited after death; in us lives her testimony that "perfect love casteth out fear." (1 John 4:18)

Let it be said of her children that they, like the Stripling Warriors in the Book of Mormon, rehearsed in one united voice: "we do not doubt our [mother] knew it." (Alma 56:48)

Cheers for a mother who gave her all for her children!

Cheers for a mother who loved with all her heart, soul and mind!

Cheers for a mother with whom we will one day be reunited!

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Much Love,

Elder Chong Woon Han

This is the music he wanted to be played that is composed by him for Mom's 50th birthday entitled 'Someone To Live For'

This is a collage made by Chelsea Grant with her own words written in memory of her dear friend Geok Lee shared in her blogpost.

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Crematorium and Columbarium 

Mom's ashes would be kept at a chosen site by the Mandai Crematorium in the Columbarium. Mom's location is on the Daffodil Block, Level 2, Room 14, position 0303

Post-dated event: A month later on 8th Dec 2012, Mom's ashes in an urn could be placed there

Here is a poem composed by our friend Merlin Weekes from US :
The Plan                                       
What is the purpose of this life we live?
    Is it to learn to take and also to give?
Is it to visit mortality for a few short years,
    Only to be forgotten after our loved ones tears,
As they place our remains in the grave, there to mold,
    And forget we were born, after a decade we’re told?

Or is there a much greater and lasting plan.,
    To further develop over a much longer span?
Could it be that this is not all?
    Perhaps we pass to a much greater call!
But, if that be true, then what of the rest,
    Our family and friends that we love the best?

Will we still know them as we do today?
    And if we do, will there be a right way?
Will there be families?  “Oh, please let there be!”
    For that would be a blessing through all eternity,
With fathers and mothers, and kids all around,
    In a great family unit, where love doth abound.

Rejoice!  Rejoice for Christ wrote the plan,
    And gave Eternal Life, through resurrection to man!
Then placed on the earth, His priesthood through love
    So we can be sealed as families both here and above.
Greater meaning to life I cannot conceive.
     God help me prepare these blessings to receive.
                      --Merlin J.  Weekes--

To know why she was named 'Unstoppable Mom' click here

Click the following link, to continue the never ending story of the 'Unstoppable Mom' and to know how she touched our lives.

Postdated events :

2012
Dec 22 Our 30th Anniversary video I did for her at the yearend: 

2014

Han finally gets to return home from his 2 year mission in June 2014 and on his first Sunday at Church he had the opportunity to sing for Mom the same hymn his siblings sang for her at her funeral service in his absence :

The whole family managed to get together again since month's passing in a BIG familylane reunion in Singapore as recorded in the family 2014 post here. Reunions were also held as recorded in 2016 and 2018.


2017
5th year anniversary of her passing:

2018 May

Mother's day Google Hangout with Elder Chong serving in the London Mission of the Church

2018 October

In Kuala Lumpur for our family reunion, the birthplace of all the children including the father,  celebrating the birthdays of our October babies:

2021 Nov 6 

9th year anniversary of her passing

I made this Facebook post on 5 Sep 2021 purely based on a spiritual feeling. Little did I know, about 2 weeks later I could get a surprise call from the US. However I was not to spread the news online, meaning primarily Facebook where I have over 2.4k of mainly friends and family members from all over the world!

So as how spiritual patterns of communication started occurring in my life since 1979, I could recognize this pattern that has continued for me till today in 2021. Yes my wife couldn't keep the secret or joke about my foolish act at the birth of our first child, so I know she was giving me a sign about a secret to be kept that I was informed 2 weeks after my FB post of Sep 5 that I felt was inspired by my wife.

So sharing this news vaguely here would be an OPTmal decision for me!!! Yes, I even reserved the unique domain name of MrOPT.Me for myself! Complete news will be shared later when I'm allowed to haha!....

The moment finally came when I got permission, on 5 Oct 2021 in our family birthday celebration on Google Hangout shared below! We stayed up for over 2 hours chatting and catching up with one another with the last bit shared below:

I really felt like how the mother of our family felt when she expressed it in the Story Telling contest shared above, to keep the secret of her husband's goof up! It was hard for me just to keep the happy news for over 3 weeks. Yes "yabadabado" I'm going to be Grandpa again for the 3rd time!!!

Appreciation to Han the oldest son, whose birthday is next mentioned in the video, for capturing our photos online & created the above collage. Appreciation must also be given to our Lady Diana and Kak Tun for their contribution to raise all the children as well!

Halloween in the USA on 31st Oct 2021 with Fei and Christopher celebrating with their 20 week old baby seen in this silent video, being more obvious in Fei's body, as they are dancing away!

Fei's Facebook post in remembrance of her Mom: