111-year-old great-grandpa leaves behind three children, six grandchilden, and one great-grandchild
A great-grandpa in Singapore has died at the ripe old age of 111, after remaining active way past the age of 100.
Mr Zheng Zhenhuang (transliterated from Mandarin) passed away peacefully at 12.26pm last Thursday (11 Dec), reported Shin Min Daily News.
Source: Singapore Qionghai Association on Facebook
Supercentenarian was admitted to hospital last week
Mr Zheng, officially a “supercentenarian”, was admitted to hospital a week ago, said his 76-year-old elder son Zuyan.
He had started having difficulties swallowing, which led to pneumonia and excess fluid in the lungs.
Despite his condition, he remained lucid but gradually deteriorated and passed away surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
“My father lived a fulfilling life; he suffered no pain until his very last moment and left peacefully,” Mr Zheng Zuyan added.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
His funeral was held on Monday (15 Dec) morning.
111-year-old great-grandpa left behind 16 family members
According to his obituary published in Obits.sg, Mr Zheng leaves behind 16 family members.
His family includes three children, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
In July, the family and their friends gathered to celebrate his birthday.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
He was born in Hainan in 1915
Mr Zheng was born in 1915 in Qionghai on China’s Hainan Island, his son said.
He married his wife, Chen Jinghua, when they were both 18, and went to Southeast Asia alone two years later.
He initially worked in Johor, at a herbal medicine shop and a plywood factory.
13 years later, after the war ended, he returned to Hainan, where his elder son was born.
He brought his family to S’pore
In 1955, Mr Zheng brought his wife and son to Malaysia.
The family then moved to Singapore, where two more children were born — fraternal twins, a son and daughter, who are now 69 years old.
The family of five settled down in a village in Eunos before moving to a flat in Bedok in 1979.
He led active life even after retirement
Mr Zheng worked as a carpenter until age 70, but led an active life even after retirement, his son said.
He was a long-time member of the Singapore Qionghai Association, serving as its Executive Secretary and stepping down only at age 80.
According to a Facebook post by the association, he was its oldest member and one of the founders of the Qiongle Association, which is its predecessor.
Mr Zheng was visited by members of the association earlier this year. Source: Singapore Qionghai Association on Facebook
Even after stepping down, he remained active, exercising and meeting with his friends almost every day.
In his 90s, he continued riding a bicycle in the neighbourhood and returned to his ancestral home in China to pay his respects.
After passing 100, he walked about 400m every day, and was still able to take care of himself as recently as two years ago, his son added.
He found new friends in his 90s
Mr Zheng Zuyan revealed that his father had briefly felt lost and lonely at around the age of 96, when his last old friend passed away.
But the son chanced upon a group of people chatting in Hainanese at the National Library, and discovered a group of elderly Hainanese folks who would gather there for hours to drink tea and chat.
They ranged in age from their 60s to 80s, and included retired engineers, principals, journalists and businessmen.
He subsequently brought his father to the gathering, and since then, he has met them every week, happy to have friends again.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
He was healthier than his son
Asked about his father’s secret to longevity, Mr Zheng Zuyan said his father exercised regularly, had a moderate diet and never ate large amounts of meat or greasy fried foods.
He had always been healthy and did not suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high blood sugar.
In fact, his son quipped that his father’s health was better than his, as the younger man has diabetes but his father never developed the condition.
Also read: Great-grandpa in S’pore dies aged 107, had worked in his coffee shop till 102
Great-grandpa in S’pore dies aged 107, had worked in his coffee shop till 102
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and Shin Min Daily News on Facebook.
