Was he a good man? Through my eyes, he was. He loved us. From the stories I've heard in the last few days, I've realized how great of a man he's become, a man that I've never had the lucky chance of truly getting to know. Only up till a few months ago, I learned that he had the most epic name ever, Frederick Francis Xavier Yong. Only this past week, I learned that he was once a school teacher at 20, an officer for the education department in his later years and only until this last Wednesday did I learn that he was going to be alright.

He was stubborn a stubborn man - notorious in the senior homes as the one who'd try to run away to freedom on his motor wheelchair. But he was a trusting brother, a caring father, grandfather, family man and friend. His death did not come by accident, but in fact, as a gift in disguise, bringing us all together as family and friends. Being the compassionate man he was, I know he would've wanted that. Whether his presence has helped us moved forward in life or shaped our personalities, he was a great link to the chain reaction of life that we are all a part of. He was a man who had a significant impact on our lives in some way or another. For some, our memories of him are small acts of kindness - an expensive jacket, a gas station push pop treat, soft boiled eggs in the morning. Being around him, or even conversing with him through the phone, you could always feel his love emit through his words. He cared about us, always telling us to do well in school, asking us if we've eaten, and how everyone else is doing. Even with his unstable health, he lived on, always caring about us, reminding us to keep our health even when his own wasn't the greatest. He had a sense of humor. But life is terrible with its timing as always. Today, let's not mourn the loss of a cherished life, but be happy that his pain and loneliness is over. It's true, you can't judge someone at the end stage of their life. 83 years and he still pushed on to the last breath despite all those years of solitude. He's a strong man in a better place now. So rest in paradise to my grandfather, Frederick Francis Xavier Yong.

You will always live on in our hearts.