Dad Passed On Yesterday Morning at IJN and Tribute by Chanlilian

Yesterday was a hectic day for me. Early in the morning, youngest sis received a call from IJN informing her of dad being unconscious. Well, he asked for Milo at around 3:00 am, after calling for the nurse. Shortly later, he had cardiac arrest and the doctors tried to resuscitate him for 30 minutes, but unfortunately, he had left us all in peace at around 5:00 am. My sister, relative and I were shocked! Dad was his cheerful self the day before, dining happily, enjoying the hospital food that comes with a menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and he was joking too. It was just too sudden that he left us to return to our Lord. He was 81 years of age and departed on 17th December 2018. The wake will be at St Joseph Luu (Prayer Room 2), Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, 1 Tingkat Besi Satu, Island Park from 17th to 20th December 2018. The funeral mass will be held at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on Friday 21st Dec at 10:00 am.

We had to rush back to Setia Skypark to pack our bags when we had booked for 16 days till the end of December in anticipation of dad’s surgery and time for recovery. After packing and having a banana for lunch, my spouse (relative) drove us back to Penang as soon as possible, stopping only to relieve ourselves in the few restrooms along the highway as dad’s body had reached Penang at 2:00 pm, sooner than expected.

Here is a tribute to dad which was written by Chan Lilian and cc to Susee:

Woke up this morning to yet another sad news of another person’s return to the Lord.

He was the welcoming smiling face, friendly ‘church people’ when I first joined the Catholic church way back in 2002. He was the photographer of my baptism and confirmation on Easter 2003. Back then, Uncle Albert would painstakingly develop the photos, labeled them and put them up on the notice board for us to order.

Back in school, I used to be the photographer and I know how difficult that task of matching numbers on the photo to the number of orders and then, having to deliver to those who ordered and get the right payment which was merely in cents. (that means you need lots of coins). So I always admired and praised Uncle Albert’s dedication to serving in that way. His photos of my children’s every little step in the church were much treasured. Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation…

Back then, before the DSLR, Uncle Albert took photos with the manual camera. It is not an easy task because events like these were sacred and the lighting is hard to adjust. Squirming babies at baptism are not easy to capture. But Praise the Lord, Uncle Albert was with each and every one of us all the way, through these years.

Uncle Albert had asked me to fill in for him a couple of times when he was on holiday. He always thinks of me as ‘that Lim Guan Eng photographer and editor of Buletin Mutiara’. I made deal with him that I will only take the photos but not responsible for printing them. So I reluctantly volunteer as a photographer though I dislike going up the altar during big mass because it is unnerving to have church people tsk tsk tsk…

The last time I met him, he was rather frail but as usual, he always encouraged me. Whenever he met me, we would discuss politics. Or rather how he dotes on Lim Guan Eng, who is a hero in many elderly people’s eyes.

Uncle Albert had shown me what serving is. Doing the smallest things with the greatest dedication without expecting anything in return. Such a cheerful, helpful and welcoming soul. Heaven rejoices.