72-year-old Woodlands ‘Snake King’ & older brother die one day apart, wakes held together
A 72-year-old man known for his remarkable skill in capturing snakes died last Friday (21 June) at Woodlands Health Campus.
In an unexpected turn of events, his older brother, 77, died in the same hospital the following day.
The family decided to hold joint wakes for the two brothers, displaying their coffins side by side.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
Woodlands ‘Snake King’ had numerous health issues before suffering stroke
According to Shin Min Daily News, Mr Ye Jinhe (name transliterated from Chinese) earned his title as the “Snake King” of Woodlands after subduing at least 50 slithery reptiles.
These included pythons, cobras, and even the highly venomous blue coral snake.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
His younger brother, 64, told the paper that Mr Ye Jinhe’s health started deteriorating about a year ago.
“First, he was diagnosed with heart disease, then kidney disease, and he eventually had a build-up of fluid in his lungs,” the younger brother shared. “He stayed in a nursing home for a month and was in great pain.”
When his condition worsened, nursing home staff called an ambulance.
Despite being rushed to the Woodlands Health Campus, Mr Ye Jinhe passed away there.
Older brother rushed to hospital the following day
As for Mr Ye Jinhe’s older brother, Mr Ye Jinchi (name transliterated from Chinese), he had been residing in a nursing home due to complications from a stroke suffered seven to eight years ago.
He was also admitted to Woodlands Health Campus for emergency treatment but passed away at 8.20pm on Saturday (22 June) — the day after Ye Jinhe’s death.
“When we heard about my fourth brother’s passing, we felt very complicated emotions,” their younger brother shared.
“We were already dealing with my fifth brother’s funeral and didn’t expect to receive more tragic news.”
Family displays brothers’ coffins side by side in same funeral hall
The sudden loss of both brothers prompted the family to make last-minute arrangements — they decided to display both coffins in the same funeral hall.
“Having two family members pass away and setting up separate wakes would have been too difficult for us,” their younger brother explained.
He added that Mr Ye Jinhe and Mr Ye Jinchi will be cremated on Wednesday (26 June).
The decision regarding whether their ashes will be kept together will depend on the preferences of the other family members.
Also read: Sim Lim ice cream uncle dies aged 92, cremated quietly at Mandai
Sim Lim ice cream uncle dies aged 92, cremated quietly at Mandai
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.
