About 40 to 50 friends and family members gathered to attend the cremation of a former Singapore Airlines (SIA) leading steward who died on Oct 23 after a three-year battle with Stage 4 lung cancer.<\/p>\n
44-year-old Adrian Toh was diagnosed with cancer in June 2023, shortly after resigning from SIA, where he had worked for 13 years.<\/p>\n
He had been preparing to embark on a new chapter as a full-time self-employed property agent when he received the diagnosis.<\/p>\n
Netizens pay tribute to ex-SIA steward<\/h2>\n
Emotional tributes poured in when news of Toh\u2019s passing<\/a> was shared on his social media accounts, with many recalling the impact he had on their lives.<\/p>\n One user recounted Toh\u2019s bubbly presence during spin classes, writing: \u201cWe\u2019ll definitely burn 50 calories or more when Adrian\u2019s beside you, as I\u2019ve always said!\u201d<\/p>\n Another shared a text message from Toh when he was bedridden, in which he wrote: \u201cCome what may, I can hand(le).\u201d<\/p>\n In the last few hours of his life, Toh had apparently asked for his oxygen mask to be removed so he could tell those around him, \u201cQuiet\u201d, another netizen shared.<\/p>\n When Stomp attended the cremation ceremony on Oct 23, about 40 to 50 family members and friends had gathered at Mandai Crematorium to send Toh off.<\/p>\n Among them were his friends from Kuala Lumpur, ex-colleagues from SIA, current colleagues, and friends from charity initiative Fashion For Cancer (FFC).<\/p>\n STOMP PHOTO: ETHEL TSENG<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Daniel, a 43-year-old self-employed entrepreneur and founder of social enterprise cafe and retail space The Social Space, told Stomp that Toh remained committed to FFC even as his condition worsened.<\/p>\n Despite undergoing a major surgery, he participated in a fashion show on Aug 29 while on a wheelchair.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was in good spirits. And we knew he wanted to be there,\u201d Daniel recalled, explaining that they had remodelled the stage to accommodate Toh\u2019s participation.<\/p>\n Toh\u2019s former colleagues also recalled fond memories of him.<\/p>\n Former SIA stewardess Emylee, 36, said she always felt comfortable approaching Toh whenever she was unsure about something.<\/p>\n Though they had both left the airline, Emylee recalled sending Toh a text asking for help when her mother received a cancer diagnosis \u2014 and received a reply within seconds.<\/p>\n He sent her suggestions on what kind of diet her mother could follow, along with words of encouragement.<\/p>\n \u201cYou take care too ya Emily,\u201d he had said. \u201cTough for cancer patient but also the caretaker too. Please remember I\u2019m here if you need anything.\u201d<\/p>\n For his personal trainer, Jason, Toh\u2019s story was one of resilience and strength. The pair trained together twice a week for over a year, before the illness began taking a toll on Toh\u2019s body.<\/p>\n He last spoke to Toh on Aug 21, when the latter said he was looking forward to visiting the new gym Jason had opened.<\/p>\n That would be the last time they spoke.<\/p>\n Edwin, a close friend of Toh\u2019s, said during the ceremony that he had first connected with Toh online after reading about his battle with cancer, which he found inspiring.<\/p>\n \u201cFor many who have that connection, interaction with Adrian, you would know that he\u2019s a fighter. Nobody, in the midst of going through cancer treatment, would hit the gym, go for spin class, and doesn\u2019t let the condition defeat him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat became a light, encouragement, for many others in Singapore and beyond. Giving them that hope, that fighting spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n Toh\u2019s determination to keep living life on his own terms was evident from the way he spoke about his diagnosis.<\/p>\n In a lighthearted Facebook post<\/a> on Sept 8, 2023, he recounted that chemotherapy treatment had been going well and the results were promising, thanking family and friends for their support.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd NO… my hair is still fully intact. (in case you are wondering),\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nFriends remember him as tenacious yet kind person<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/div>\nKept active despite condition<\/h2>\n
\u2018I\u2019m not afraid to start all over again\u2019<\/h2>\n
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