Much has been said about the younger generations taking over hawker businesses from the ageing population.
Unfortunately, the son of Changi Village’s famous goreng pisang or banana fritters stall was not able to complete that promise as he passed in his sleep on Monday (21 Feb).
Prior to his passing, the 49-year-old had spearheaded the stall’s online business during the pandemic, 3 years after taking over from his ageing parents.
According to Shin Min Daily News, Mr James Chan had passed away in his sleep on Monday (21 Feb).
As he would usually leave home by 10.30am, his mother decided to check on him in his room when he failed to emerge from it by 11am.
While attempting to wake him up, she reportedly felt that his hands were unusually cold and stiff. She then proceeded to call an ambulance.
When paramedics arrived, they pronounced Mr Chan dead on the scene, leaving his mother heartbroken. Autopsy reports later revealed that the cause of death was a heart attack.
Shin Min Daily News reported that the deceased had exercised regularly and did not have any prior ailments.
Having served customers in Changi for over 20 years, the late Mr Chan’s father will now continue operating the stall to cater to their loyal fans.
However, this may be a temporary measure.
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Mr Chan’s mother asks anyone interested in taking over the business to contact the pair.
Prior to his death, the late Mr Chan would extensively market his business in the popular Facebook group, Hawkers United – Dabao 2020 .
He would often post about the store’s offerings and purchase instructions.
For fans of the goreng pisang stall in Changi, Mr Chan’s death will surely be hard to take.
The heartbreak is probably even more so for his parents, who have likely held a lot of hope for him to carry on with their business.
MS News would like to extend our deepest condolences to the late Mr Chan’s family, and we hope that they’ll find a way to keep their business going for years to come.
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Featured image adapted from James Chan on Facebook and Shin Min Daily News.
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