Magician Jeremy Pei dies at the age of 41 after battling brain cancer
After battling a brain tumour for years, a Singaporean magician has died at the age of 41.
Mr Jeremy Pei leaves behind a wife and two young children aged six and five months old.
Source: Jeremy Pei on Facebook
Magician Jeremy Pei dies on 18 Aug
According to a notice circulated on Facebook, Mr Pei passed away on Sunday (18 Aug).
Source: UginAdison Wannaquitdrinking Zcsz on Facebook
He had been hospitalised for more than two months since June, reported Shin Min Daily News.
His wake is taking place at Block 17 Toh Yi Drive, with a funeral service and subsequent cremation on Thursday (22 Aug).
He battled brain cancer for more than 10 years
Mr Pei had been battling brain cancer for more than 10 years.
He told the Brain Tumour Society Singapore in a 2016 video that his health issues started in June 2012 when he was involved in a road accident.
Source: Brain Tumour Society Singapore on Facebook
While he escaped seemingly unscathed, doctors who did a check-up on him told him that he might have a brain tumour.
Not daring to believe this, he went to six other doctors and they all told him the same thing — that it was brain cancer.
He underwent surgery in 2015 and received good news from doctors in 2016: Many parts of his tumour had shrunk or vanished, he said.
Source: Jeremy Pei on Facebook
He welcomed son in 2018 & daughter in 2024
Since then, Mr Pei and his wife welcomed two bundles of joy — his son Jac, born in November 2018, and daughter Joy, born in March 2024.
Source: Jeremy Pei on Facebook
While he said he was not afraid of dying, he was concerned over how he lived his life.
He didn’t want his family to have to worry about him, so he decided to “live life like a normal person” and not to be angry, sad and depressed.
He advised people to value their families and close friends as “they are the people who truly make your life magical”.
He started performing magic at the age of 13
Speaking of magic, Mr Pei started performing at the young age of 13, following in his father’s footsteps.
Despite his brain cancer diagnosis, he continued performing at various events, from D&Ds to schools and dedicated magic shows in Singapore and abroad.
Source: Jeremy Pei on Facebook
While he said he used to think magic performances were everything in life, his family now ranked first in his heart and he cherished them very much.
He underwent surgery again in 2022
In August 2022, Mr Pei underwent another brain tumour surgery — an “awake” surgery.
He said in a video posted on his blog two months after the surgery that it lasted about six hours, and left him temporarily unable to talk properly.
In an update in February this year, he said he did an MRI in July 2023 and was told that a tumour was growing near the centre of his brain and surgery was not advisable.
Source: 60yearoldmagician.wordpress.com
He started a six-month course of chemotherapy in August 2023, and by January 2024 he said an MRI showed it had “vanished”.
However, he had been experiencing mild seizures, he said.
Magician Jeremy Pei dies after being warded in June
Mr Pei’s wife Celia Lee told Shin Min that he went to Indonesia with friends in May to referee a magic competition.
They noticed that his speech and movements were uncoordinated, and they immediately sent him to hospital as soon as he returned home.
He was warded again in June, and the doctor said his cancer was terminal.
As his health deteriorated, he gradually became unable to speak and take care of himself, only being able to move his fingers slightly. He also needed to be intubated for feeding.
However, Mr Pei remained optimistic, strong-willed and brave and wanted to continue fighting till the last moment, Ms Lee said.
In a Facebook post, Ms Lee bid farewell to her “heroic” and “brave” husband, urging him not to blame himself for not being able to take care of her and their children.
Source: Celia Lee on Facebook
He has just protected them “in another way”, by making them stronger, she said.
Thanking him for giving her a home and letting her become his wife, she added:
Hope you can go to another place happily and do what you like there.
Many people pay tribute to him
Several friends and acquaintances paid tribute to Mr Pei on Facebook, with one describing him as “an inspiration to many including myself… a role model, a friend and a wonderful husband and father”.
Source: Jeremy Pei on Facebook
A fellow magician called him “very talented and kind” and a “good mentor” who promised to help everytime he needed help.
When he told Mr Pei that he wanted to join a competition, he immediately agreed to guide him and even flew to Kuala Lumpur to help him rehearse, he said.
The Singapore Association of Magicians said on Facebook that it was “deeply saddened” to share news of his passing.
Source: Singapore Association of Magicians on Facebook
It added that he was a “remarkable person” who “touched many lives in the magic scene” and always gave his time to contribute to the club as a very active member.
Also read: Capital 958 part-time DJ Lin Li Fang dies aged 67 after battling illness
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Featured image adapted from Jeremy Pei on Facebook and Celia Lee on Facebook.
