Our Star

Here are some feedback from family and friends of their impression of him and how he has touched their lives. Words do not justify who he was, but we figured what better way for you to know him.

These were Ryan's words to a friend of his. Indeed, by this sentence Ryan lived his life. He was always there to help a friend, selflessly giving his whole to everyone, at home and at school.

Ryan is like a brother to me. I have always wanted a brother who I can play b-ball, tennis, badminton or even pool with. He is also my most supportive Chinese Club member. Even though he cannot read in chinese or speak Mandarin fluently, he is always eager to learn, asking for translation and pronunciation for Mandarin words. This is the part that touched me the most.

Someone once wrote, 'When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you were smiling. Live your life in such a manner that during your funeral, you are smiling and those around you are crying,' and Ryan did just that.

You don't realise how much you are appreciated or how much you give of yourself to others. But at all times, I want you to know that I respect you greatly and I thank you for being the best person in the world in everyway.

Everybody has the same 24 hours, yet he always seem to find extra hours to do us favours. The amazing thing was that he doesn't ever complain, rather, he seems to enjoy helping others.

NOVEMBER 13, 2002 - THE LAST DAY

(Mum's notes: It was a typical Ryan's day with all the values he created each and everyday)

It was the midst of the year-end semester break, but Chemistry teacher had been conducting extra classes. On that particular morning, Ryan woke up in a happy mood. Having caught up with his studies the evening before, he had declared that he was ready for Chemistry extra-class that morning and was beginning to read ahead of the teacher's schedule. Mindful that the teacher had sacrificed her own holiday-time to conduct classes, Ryan was determined to prove that her efforts were not wasted.

In preparation to lead the school delegates to the La Salle Convention to be held in lpoh, Perak, Ryan had arranged for them to take up cultural dance lessons in the afternoon. He had returned home after Chemistry class to ask if he was needed to baby-sit younger brother, Aaron, that evening since I had a dinner invitation (to which I told him I had already sent my regrets, so he could spend the evening with his friends). He also wanted my confirmation that he could take on a part-time job at a supermarket for the next 2 weeks to get extra funds for the trip to Ipoh. Though subsidized by the school, he wanted to pay the difference himself and not burden the family.

Through lunch, he was joking about the 'chickenless' meal I had put up that day while quizzing me about groceries to buy for an exposure trip to a native village which he was going to the following week-end as a run-up to the Ipoh trip. Noting his seriousness in the trips, his brothers and I had teased him about his devotion as the "coolest head-prefect St. Joe. ever had"

Ryan never made it to either of the trips. He left the house at 2 pm. I received a call at 7:20 pm to go to the Sarawak General Hospital. Found in his wallet was a receipt for a bar of chocolate bought at 6:40pm from a supermarket at least 15 minutes' drive from where Ryan was drowned in a pool. Allowing for the time the ambulance took to reach him and brought him to the hospital, he could not have been in the pool long and hopefully had not suffered much.

The Aftermath: Ryan was cremated on November 15, 2002 and his funeral, in St. Josephian colours, was attended by about 300 teachers, ftiends and relatives. After the funeral, Ryan appeared to his predecessor head-prefect, Julius, in a dream thanking him for the grand ceremony.
His ashes are now in the columbarium at: No. 0202 Block 4 (Right Wing), Kuching Buddhist Society, Buddhist Village, Lot 271, Jalan Kopit, 19th Mile, Kuching-Bau Road, Kuching.