Mid-length obituary
Donald Tan
Donald Tan died peacefully at his home in Siglap Park on Monday, June 1, 2013 at the ripe old age of 90.
He is survived by his wife, Molly (age 80), 5 sons, 3 daughters, 15 grandchildren and 12 great grand children.
Born in Muar, Johor, to David (father, deceased) and Mary (mother, deceased) he moved to Singapore as a one-year-old child in 1924. He studied in Tauglin Primary School then Victoria Secondary School, after which he joined a Chinese rice trading company in Boat Quay.
During the Japanese Occupation he fled to Thailand, where he met and married his wife Mary. He returned to Singapore after the Japanese surrender and opened a small coffee trading company, Green Valley Beans Company, supplying coffee beans procured from Java, Sumatra and India to the British and Allied Forces in South-east Asia.
His business grew strongly so did his family, fathering eight children.
He was active in the Chinese Clan Association, supporting its many community activities targeted at improving the lives of Chinese immigrants. He also donated generously benefiting many young men and women with tertiary education scholarships locally and overseas.
In 2001, at the age of 75, he retired from the coffee business, handing over the reins of the family enterprise to his eldest son, Desmond.
A memorial service will be held in Donald’s honour at St. Anthony’s Church in Middle Road on Friday, June 5 at 3pm followed by burial at the Choa Chu Kang Cemetery Christian Cemetery at 5pm.
The family requests that in lieu of wreaths, donations in Donald’s memory be made to The Children’s Society.
May God Bless Donald Tan.
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