I cannot talk about my grandfather without also talking about my grandmother because she was the rock of his life.

His last thoughts were for her. The were holding hands when he finally went to sleep this Monday morning.

Last year, we celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary. After dinner, he presented her with a red packet full of money which he then followed up with jewellery box... There was a jade brooch insede.

He chose that for her himself. and in return, in front of everybody, she kissed him three times. And he gave her one kiss back. They were 97 and 88 years old at that time.

Once when I was learning the piano, I thought I would learn some songs, I thought I would learn some songs to play at my grandmother's birthday. I asked grandfather what songs he thought she would like.

To my surprise, he gave me a type written sheet of her favourite songs numbered in order of preference.

He was always a busy man. But at some point in his life, he sat down, thought hard about what music my grandmother enjoyed, then typed it all out.

Husbands here today, do you have a list of your wives' top 10 favourite songs in a special folder? Well, that's a lesson you can take from my grandfather.

He and my grandmother celebrated 69 years of marriage together in April this year.

I thank my grandfather for showing us what it is to really love another person. I also thank my grandfather for showing us what it is to love life.

He was a man who enjoyed life to the full.

He collected snuff bottles and coins and stamps. He travelled the world, he played sports, planted fruit trees. He loved the smell and taste of hazelnut coffee.

Whenever his grandchildren visisted him in his office ... there would come a moment where he would wink at us, open his desk drawer and say, "Have a chocolate?"

Unkown to my grandmother, who disapproved of his snacking between meals, he always kept a secret stash of Hawaiian macadamia nut chocolate which he ate out of her sight during office hours.

He had a sweet tooth. He especially loved ice cream.

Rum and raisin was his favourite flavour.

He was a fun granfather.

My grandfather loved animals as well.

He liked to watch horses running. He liked dogs and cats. He liked fish. At last count, his house contained 11 chickens, 8 terrapins, 2 goldfish and 1 dog. He would either feed or supervise the feeding of all these creatures himself.

Before starting dinner, he would always ask. "Has the dog eaten yet?" and the first thing he did after finishing dinner would be to feed goldfish and then his terrapins.

Once someone gave him six turkeys. I think the idea was fir them to be fattened up and then eaten. My grandfather looked at them, He spole to them, he gave them names.

I remember my mother saying to me: "Oh, no, he's given them names. We'll never get rid of them now." Finally they grew too large and noisy so my grandfather decided to find them a new home.

The Singapore Zoo was chosen. When the family heard about this, we all joked that the turkeys would be fed to the crocodiles. He was so alarmed that he told me that he made special arrangements with the zoo that they must send him a written report every time one of his turkeys died.

That was the kind of man my grandfather was. He revered and respected life, even the life of an animal.

If you wish to honour his memory in your life, then live life to the full, stand by your friends, cherish your family, listen to everyone with an open mind and welcome those who cross your path with an open heart.

I end with some words of his from an email he sent me in the year he turned 88: "my age, gong-ong (grandfather) is convinced that we go on learning till our last breathe on this planet. Every day is a new day and every new person is different but a human being."

He has practised what he preached. He has filled the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run. He has gone on another journey now.

We have spent the past five days saying goodbye to him. It is now time to let him go.

From all your grandchildren and great-grandchildren, I know you loved us all so very much. Goodbye, gong-gong, goodbye.