Paddy Chew - Funeral

Funeral

Dance music played at Mount Vernon Crematorium's Hall Two and the mourners came dressed in red, blue, pink and orange. People with AIDS must be buried or cremated within 24 hours of death in Singapore, so his funeral was held that very afternoon, with about 80 people present.

Chew's sister Jessie, 37, said in her short eulogy, "He wanted everyone to come, preferably in red, and party with him." She said that her brother remained full of spirit and fought all the way to the end.

There also were 2 older siblings present, Shirley, 53 and Edwin, 52. Another sister, Joanne, 41, was living abroad. 2 others, the managing director of Boom Boom Room, Alan Koh and an old friend, Audrey Fegen, gave additional eulogies.

The service, led by Roman Catholic priest Augustine, lasted less than half-an-hour. Calvin Tan, 38, a friend of Chew's since Primary 1, said: "He was in critical condition at 8 p.m. on Friday, but he was a fighter. He fought from 8 p.m. to 6 this morning. He refused to give up."

Action for Aids president, Assoc. Prof. Roy Chan, who knew Chew since he was diagnosed with AIDS in 1995 and who worked closely with him on several AIDS awareness projects, said: "Paddy was a very outspoken person. He had a lot of guts to do what he did. He was selfless and courageous. He did not do it for himself, but for society."