107-year-old great-grandpa leaves behind six children aged from 78 to 54
A great-grandpa in Singapore has died at the ripe old age of 107 after a life well-lived.
Mr Chen Chaoyun (transliterated from Mandarin) passed away peacefully in the hospital earlier this month, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
107-year-old great-grandpa dies after being hospitalised for lung infection
Before his death, Mr Chen had been warded for several weeks due to a lung infection.
As the medicine he was receiving was no longer effective, his family decided to move him to hospice care.
He then passed away at 7.15pm on 1 June, leaving behind six children aged from 78 to 54 — an age gap of 24 years.
Just last year, his family had gathered to celebrate his 106th birthday.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Youngest son held his hand during his last moments
His youngest son Chen Wu (transliterated from Mandarin) told Shin Min that he was at his father’s side during his last moments.
He held his hand and told him to leave with no worries, as his children were all grown up.
Old Mr Chen then closed his eyes and drifted away, like he was going to sleep.
He worked as a sailor, chef in Saudi Arabia & opened a coffee shop
Mr Chen was born in Hainan and came to Singapore when he was still a young man, his son said.
After getting married, he started working as a sailor, then took a job as a chef in Saudi Arabia in the 1980s.
Though he returned to Singapore only once every two years, he earned a good salary of about US$6,000 to support his family.
After returning to Singapore for good, he opened a coffee shop with his brothers.
He helped out in coffee shop till age 102
Mr Chen’s son said his father worked hard all his life and was very motivated and energetic.
Though he retired in his 60s, he would still help out in the coffee shop as he was always in good health.
In fact, he was still riding a bicycle into his 90s, the younger Mr Chen added.
When at the coffee shop, his father would not just sit around, but undertake manual tasks like washing and mopping the floor and cleaning the chairs, so much so that customers would ask them why they made such an old man work so hard.
He only stopped going to the coffee shop at the considerable age of 102, when his physical strength started declining.
This actually caused the family to be relieved, as they did not want him to exert himself.
Mr Chen Wu attributed his father’s long life to how he could endure hardship and was always looking for something to do, describing it as an “extraordinary” feature of an ordinary man.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.
