Tributes
Leave a tributeAlways remembered with thankful hearts,
When you first left, my friends' kids were in PL Primary. Now they've grown, one of them is taking O levels in PL Sec this year. Still makes me a little wistful that we won't have that shared experience of having had you as our teacher.
Still holding the things you taught me close to my heart, like taking notes by hand :D (It really works ☺️ )
Thankful for the gospel, & for gospel perspectives of eternity xo
Your memory lives on.
Pumpy-umpy-umpkin
You're my Sweetie Pie
You're my Cuppycake
Gumdrop Snoogums-Boogums
You're the Apple of my Eye”
Desperately missing all that you are to me Sweetie ❤️
Happy Birthday! No doubt you are having a blast with Jesus in heaven!
Miss you and see you soon.
22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
The song you taught me, Remind Me Dear Lord, came to mind on this day:
"The things that I love
I hold dear to my heart
They are borrowed and
Not mine at all
Jesus only let me use them
To brighten my life
So remind me, remind me dear Lord
Roll back the curtain of memory now and then
Show me where you brought me from and
Where I could have been
Just remember I'm a human and humans forget
So remind me, remind me dear Lord
Nothing good have I done
To deserve God's own Son
I'm not worthy of the scars
In His hands
Yet he chose the road to Calvary
To die in my stead
Why He loved me I can't understand
Roll back the curtain of memory now and then
Show me where you brought me from and
Where I could have been
Just remember I'm a human and humans forget
So remind me, remind me dear Lord
Just remember I'm a human and humans forget
So remind me, remind me dear Lord."
Blessed birthday dearest Ms Loh! ☺️
Death leaves Us homesick, who behind,
Except that it is gone
Are ignorant of its Concern
As if it were not born.
Through all their former Places, we
Like Individuals go
Who something lost, the seeking for
Is all that's left them, now—
Dear Ad, Death is unkind and tries to separate but Love and Friendship are more powerful. They are eternal. Closer to God and to you with each passing year.
I am the previlege of having you as my form teacher during my last year in PL. I will always remember that beautiful smile on ur face.
You did not give up on me as I was a rather rebellious girl at that time. Today I m working as a account clerk, 1 which I passionately love
Thank u for ur encouragement
May i encourage each one of you to cast all your cares into the nail-pierced hands of Jesus; his hands are much bigger than ours. He cares about each specific need in your life... as we rest in His goodness to restore the broken places in our lives, all anxiety and struggle will cease. He makes all things (even the bad) work together for our good. Trust His heart even when we cannot see His hand. His hand is moving behind the scenes which may not be apparent to us. He is our Abba Father and we are his blood-bought covenant children. Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! ❤️ i recall singing "i cast all my cares upon You, i lay all of my burdens down at Your feet, and every time i don't know what to do, i just cast all my cares upon You!" to the Lord during the dark moments Ade and i went through together during her illness. May He manifest himself in a tangible and personal way to each one of you whatever valley you may be experiencing… do not fear nor be dismayed… for your God, He walks with you! He will strengthen you; Yes! He will help you and Yes! He will uphold you with his mighty right hand!
1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Happy 50th birthday!
Knowing that you're in heaven with a brand new, ageless body...you'll look smashing!! Missing you here from this side, Claire is in PL Sec now, wish you could be her teacher.
These were lyrics that you wrote for the musical in 2012. I remember you coaching me on singing and pushing myself (this was my very first fully solo performance on stage ever). Thank you for giving me the confidence to continue using my voice to bless others.
Hoping that you're rejoicing with Jesus right now :)
Today would have been your 50th birthday if you are still alive. Missing and thinking of you which brought me to this page. Hearing your sweet voice and viewing the photos as they run on this memorial page bring back precious memories. I'm comforted that you & pa are both rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus in heaven and we'll meet one day, never to part anymore.
You’ve been missed dearly, wish you were here to meet the new addition to the family. I’ll wait to introduce the little one to you when we meet again in heaven. :’)
Keeping Sir Allister in prayer, especially this week. God Bless.
Adeline and Allister embodied love, kindness and tenderness of spirit as life companions, and I know Allister continues to grief as he celebrates Adeline's life and memories.
Allister, I continue to keep Adeline close in my thoughts, I keep both of you in my heart.
still fondly remember the times I had the privilege of being your student, for 3 whole amazing years. being in PL was special, being your student was special. I was never the most brilliant or the most confident, but in PL, & in your class - there was always the safety to be brave & try again.
today, I work as a copywriter in a sales & marketing company - & it is probably one of the last things I ever thought I'd grow up to be, or do. but I think, part of my journey in learning to love the written word, & to have courage to try - started in PL, and in class with you.
Still can't believe I'll never be able to introduce you personally (maybe next time in heaven, ha) to any new PL-Lites to come, & still thankful for having had the privilege of knowing you x
Even so come Lord Jesus!
in my heart
Of stored memories
Of times shared.
Yet,
Year by year,
Memory fades,
Words forgotten,
Fuzzy recollections,
Distant episodes,
Tragedy of the human mind,
Forgetfulness.
Moving on,
Good bye, my friend.
Closing a chapter,
Until we meet again.
Vibrates in the memory -
Odours, when sweet violet sicken,
Live within the sense they quicken.”
You are still very much in my senses, Ade. Till we meet again.
You're having a blast in heaven with Jesus.
Miss you and when we meet again, I'll fill you in on my girls' own PL adventures.
- Alumni
1 Cor 2:9
There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That artists and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
From one of your favorite plays, Ad. And Lady M will forever be dramatic, memorable, significant, to me because of you.
A connoisseur
And an excellent chef
Recipes shared
Of couscous
And shepherd’s pie
Never could I replicate
the exquisite taste
Of a steak medium rare
Memories of these
Bring a void in my heart
And a tear to my eyes
5 years on...
Am still an ordinary cook
Am still missing you
Can’t wait to eat siew yok with you...in Heaven.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (Jn 11:25-26)
Membership is eternal
Counting my blessings
Missing you as always, Ade. Teaching Macbeth brings you close, reminds me everyday, inspires me in many ways.
Anticipating and looking for the blessed hope when we shall be clothed with our incorruptible bodies by our Lord Jesus at his glorious appearing (1 Cor 15.52-54 & Titus 2.13)... to see Him as He is and to once again embrace you and hold you in my arms
Death is stripped of its hold on the last vestiges of power when what scriptures call the "last enemy" is swallowed up in victory!
Through death Jesus when he laid down his life at the cross to save a lost and dying humanity has destroyed him who HAD the power of death! (Heb 2.14) The Resurrection & the Life has overcome sin, death, the grave and the devil who no longer wields the power of death
All glory to Jesus whom the Father has put ALL things in subjection under his feet (Eph 1.22 & Heb 2.8), the anchor of of souls, our sure and steadfast hope (Heb 6.19), our soon-returning Messiah & King of kings!
However, I have seen you around school before.
Rest in peace alright?
Emily, 2020
Class of 2012
Together we plan
Together we go
At Novena, where they serve up homely food fare
A mishmash of colours and flavors
Just like our friendship
Different in every way,
yet brought together in our Father’s love
Savour the explosion of taste
For only a moment until the last morsel is eaten
Just like our friendship on earth
Transit, fleeting...
Missing you
But we will meet again
Waiting for us...two more bowls of Chirashi.
Miss u!
Agnes x
There were audio clips in one file, and I heard your voice Ms Loh. And then all the memories of the times I was your student came back to me. So clearly. You're missed.
We had Jai Tai
We talked about Shakespeare
We talked about life
Time is immaterial when eternal friends meet.
Happy blessed birthday, dear dear Ad!
Dear Adeline, we'll meet again through the Lord Jesus!
October comes around again.
A poignant month of juxtaposition
In October, the joyous birth of a friend so dear.
In October, the sorrow demise of a friend felt so deep
Between years spent from October to October, living busy in parallel worlds until we meet in PL.
Like ships docked in the same harbor, our exchanges were brief, yet authentic and funny. A fleeting moment of togetherness orchestrated by God’s hand.
Like slippers in a pair, we walked the corridors in PL, until the Lord called....in October.
Letting go on earth was hard to bear, but peace and joy reigned in heaven.
What’s left is bitter sweet memory etched in my mind. October comes around again.
Leave a Tribute
Always remembered with thankful hearts,
"Gone from my sight, that is all"
We came together to bid farewell to Ad on Good Friday, 25 March, 2016, as we scattered her remains at sea. I cannot find the words to describe the rush of emotions, not just on this day, but on days where I wake up still not believing she is gone. Here's a poem that beautifully captures the kind of human being she was and will always be:
A Parable of Immortality
I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud
Just where the sea and the sky come to mingle with each other.
Then someone says, "There she goes!"
Gone where?
Gone from my sight, that is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side
And just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "There she goes"
There are other eyes watching her coming
And their voices ready to take up the glad shouts,
"Here she comes!"
By Henry Van Dyke
Working on the musicals with Ad
I first met Ad in 1999 when I was doing my practicum at PLMGSS. I remember asking her advice on a literary text and was surprised when she very readily passed me her entire file of notes. What a generous person, I thought. Our paths did not cross until a few months later when, out of the blue, she asked me whether I could help out on a project she was overseeing. "What's this about and what help do you need?" I asked. She said it was the school musical for the following year and explained she needed me to help manage the kids. Later I learnt, at our first committee meeting, that the proper term for "helping to manage the kids" was Director. It was of course quite daunting since I had just joined the school less than 6 months and had never directed a musical in my life. I remember that a few weeks later, we were going to hold our first auditions and I said I had no idea how to conduct an audition. But Ad had a way of putting you at ease. "It's alright," she said. "Just go with your instincts." It was also during this time that I learnt that no script and no song had been written for the musical - it was going to be completely original. There was this gungho spirit about her, this confidence about the way she announced it that somehow you just knew she would make it happen.
Ad and I got to know each other very well during the production of this first musical "The Great I Am". There were only a few months to work on this and I remember going to her house after school a few days a week and even on the weekends. Right at the beginning, there was a great synergy. Both of us were lit teachers so we spoke the same language, understood the importance of using metaphors and symbols in the story. We complemented each other well too - she was people-oriented and I was task-oriented. Often, when I lost my cool at the actors or crew, she would step in to "harmonize" the situation later. Both of us were pefectionists and would not stop until the work was up to our standards. I remember one time, we were about to finish a song and were working in the school's teachers room. This extended to a few hours and by the time we ended, a few hours had passed; it was coming to 6AM and the next school day was about to begin!
Both of us had "healthy" egos - there was an authenticity and transparency about our conversation. For example, she would tell me directly that a particular line sounded stupid and I would tell her tune sounded so dead etc. But I think we pushed each other and made sure the result (both script and songs) was satisfactory to both of us in the end. We constantly bickered over every single word, line, tune and other matters which was even noticed by people in the staffroom. Someone once said we looked like the two old friends at the theatre in the Muppet Show who were always arguing. I remember once too when I happened to be at a CD store, she called me and we talked about some matters to do with the musical. I must have disagreed with her because afterawhile, I noticed that everyone in the store was looking at me and I realized that she had been speaking very loudly to me on the phone and I had unconsciously raised my volume at the same time! At the end of the day, we loved working with each other - it was always so much fun, even the bickering and the "shut up yous". We had great respect for each other. She would call me "Caesar" (or "Great Caesar" if she wanted something from me) and never hesitate to remind me that she was the "Northern Star" (because in the play, Caesar compares himself to the northern star i.e. brightest star).
Finally, I believe we shared a spirital like-mindedness. Both the story and songs were inspired by our life journeys and, in particular, our spiritual journeys. The song "The Great I am" was inspired by a speech we heard at the end of year planning retreat when an invited pastor spoke of how, sometimes, when the moon is hidden by clouds, it is still there, just like when God is there even when we don't see Him. Quite a number of songs were written by Ad previously (she often wrote songs to encourage close friends and loved ones) and the lyrics were tweaked to fit the story. Sometimes, we would spend hours doing research by watching musicals and listening to different songs. I remember that "Pictures in your mind" was inspired by Beauty and the Beast and "The Father's hand" by Josh Groban's version of "You raise me up." I remember introducing a song from the musical Rent that goes "Will I lose my dignity, will someone care..." and this became the inspiration for the song "Someday."
Altogether, Ad and I have worked on 4 original musicals over 16 years. We started on the 5th one last year and had written the description of ten scenes, two Acts. In June this year, she showed me the lyrics of a song she had written. Later, she texted me about a possible title. She wanted the next musical to be called "Created for His glory" to remind the students that they have a higher purpose. Ad had an unwavering love for God. She once told me she saw herself as a Barnabas in the bible who often came alongside others to encourage them and support them. Indeed, in many of the musicals we wrote, the lead character, who was often searching for her identity, feeling spiritually lost, would always be supported by an encouraging friend who would help point the way. In a way, I believe she was a Barnabas to many - her husband, her close friends, and her students she mentored. My own life has been shaped by the numerous conversations we have had and the way she journeyed with me through the different seasons of my life e.g. before I was married, while I changed jobs, when I went overseas etc. Many of the stories we shared were eventually incorporated in the stories and music that were written.
This is part of what I wrote to her immediately after the 2012 musical: "I am proud of what we have done. Deeply proud. I'm proud because everytime we do a musical, it is proclaimation of what He is doing in our lives. Our lives are books and God writes himself into the story of our lives - the musical is but a reflection of this. It has been such a privilege and blessing to be involved in this. Throughout all these years, you have been that consistent, unfailing friend, always reminding me to go home and I thank God for our friendship. Who knows what the next couple of years will bring? But I do know this - the words we have spoken and proclaimed will be a foundation for this next season of our lives because we chose to begin it with God. I'm looking forward to our next spiritual adventure together."
I would have continued working on musicals until the day we retired but our God has other plans. What an inspiration she has been! I await the day we can continue this work in heaven.