Eulogy for my Beloved Father Gan Tiong Kim 颜长金

Losing a father is something that most of us have to go through at certain point in our lives. When it happens to you, it does not make it any easier.
My father is in essence a very typical Chinese. We know he is there for us but we don’t know him that much. He is always working as he is running a tea trading business and the hours are very long. One of our fondest memories in our younger days of him is when he brings home supper late in the evening. Singapore is not the place that we know it today. Char kway teow was served on palm leaves, and for soup noodle, you have to bring your own pot. From the suppers that we share, we can feel he truly loves us but he did not have much time for us.
My father is considered very charming during his age, as a businessman, he has many friends and he joined many clans and associations. Although it may be of commercial reason but he generously helped many people. He may be at times too generous. When he was questioned why he gave time and money to help strangers, father always says, it is for the children 积德. For every good deed he does, he earned points or credits for us. We know that he is just soft hearted, but it is soft heartedness that we love him. Sometimes, we don’t understand his decision but we know his intentions are good.
My father is a strong believer in education. He was not properly schooled, he did not finish secondary school, but he read many Chinese books on topics that interest him, mainly history, religion, geomancy. His Chinese language skill is considered high during his time. Not only he could read and write fluently, he also composed prose and poem. On my mother’s epitaph, he wrote
琴音金声夫思念 玉容长留儿女铭
The legacy he left behind in us. He made us all that we are today. Because of him, we have our education and we are very proud to be his children. We inherited his intelligence, his charm, compassion and love for life. Now, we have to say goodbye to him, but we are also happy that he is finally with our mother in Heaven.
Read by Elder Son Gan Yee Seng during cremation ceremony on 23 July 2008