During my second day there (in Indonesia), I received a sad news (SMS) from Seok Kuan. She messaged saying that the national dragon boat team, competing in Cambodia met with an accident. 5 men were missing. One of them was Stephen Loh Soon Ann. I prayed for his safety.

The following day, the sad news came....his body was found. I was dumbfounded. Devastated....

We weren't the best of friends. Neither do we talk everyday when we were trainees in NIE. The late Stephen was arguably the fittest person I've ever met in my life. We once sat in the canteen having lunch when I asked him how often he trained to get a muscular body like his. He said twice a day. He'd go to the gym in the morning, eat, went back to the hall (dorm) to sleep the whole afternoon and train again in the evening. He's a very agile person. Soft spoken, smart and asks the smartest of questions during lectures. My impression of Stephen.

I first saw him way before we entered NIE. I was playing soccer with my camp mates and Andy Liew brought some of his NTU dragon boat friends with him to play soccer in NUS handball court. That was when I saw Stephen for the first time. A few years later, he was a colleague...classmates.

The last time I saw Stephen was during the September holidays this year. We played soccer at the Cage during the September holidays. I was just talking to Ryan today when we were in the gym about the last time we saw Stephen. He came late during our Cage session and started scoring the moment he came in. I can't believe that I'll never see him again.

I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed that I can't attend his wake. But I'm a newly wed. I wouldn't want to make my wife and my in-laws unhappy. I guess there are things in life that I have to face.

Earlier this year, it was a PE guy (Zam) who met with a fatal accident at Mount Ophir. Now, it's my own friend. Someone who I know and play and talk to personally. I will always remember Stephen as a competitor, a gentleman, arguably the fittest person I've met and a friend. I am sure that Stephen would have a better life on the other side in spite of the fact that he had left his family and his loved ones behind. To you my friend, Stephen Loh Soon Ann, rest in peace. You will always be remembered.

Rest-in-peace my dear friend.

Treasure your loved ones. You'll never know when you might lose them.

RuDy...

FROM :

http://rudy-myblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/it-has-been-eventful-weekboth-of.html

I'm finally backk from 2 weeks of MIA-ing. Things happened too sudden that I'm not even aware that time really don't waits. yupp. Received a call from *Mich on Sunday afternoon (just after my clubbing session with Fenn and Esther @ O Bar) when I'm still sleeping and she told me about the tragedy of the dragonboat accident in Cambodia. One of the bodies found were Mr Stephen Loh Soon Ann. This really was a shock to me. I woke up from my sleep, sat on my bed and stared at the wall with a blank mind. Just couldn't think of anything. Too fast for me to react on. Watched the news, read the newspaper. Everywhere in Singapore is talking about this. & one of them which I know. Though he was in charge of Softball for not more than 1 year. He was someone whom many of us respected & we will always be. He was more like a friend to me rather a teacher. He joked with us, went through the tough trainings he gave us, taught us. 31 years old. Perfectly healthy, career taking off, handsome young man. They just took him away from this world, from his family, from his friends. From everything. WHY? Perhaps it's all predestined. Nobody knows. Still remember vividly, there was this time after our training Mr Poon (one of the 17 who was saved during the accident), drove us to Bishan together with Mr Loh. 8 of us in a small car. It was filled with only laughters. Noo worries, noo tears, noo sorrows. Attended Mr Stephen Loh's wake on tuesday night. All of us were soo tensed on the way to the wake. When I was waiting for my turn to pay my last respect for him, I could feel the tensed atmosphere there. Standing by his coffin side, I almost couldn't control my emotions. Went out of his house and sat together with Mich and gang. Just by looking the number of people attending his wake, you could see how important he holds a place in each and everyone's heart. We said the prayers and his father talked to whole hall of people using the mic. He joked a little and told us the little stories of Stephen. The most heartwrenching part was when he told us that he went in the room to recognise his body. It was beyond recognition. The stress of this sentence, Beyond. He recongnised his son merely by opening his mouth to see his overleaping teeth. When I heard this, I couldn't control anymore.

Now and then, I would think of him when I was in Ftpss. This tragedy indeed let me learn alot. It made me understand that people gain and loss. Treasure those you love for you don't know what will happen next. His smile would always remain in my heart forever. Hope he will rest in peace. :'( Same goes to the rest of the four who lost their lifes in this tragedy.

Always remembered and respected, Mr Stephen Loh Soon Ann.

TinTin_71 FTPSS Softball Team (2001-2005)

FROM :

http://www.xanga.com/would_u_be_there/630193246/in-memorance-mr-stephen-loh-soon-ann.html

Principal says Stephen Loh was 'a teacher of promise'
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 25 November 2007 2140 hrs

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/313650/1/.html

SINGAPORE: National Junior College Principal Virginia Cheng described 31-year-old physical education teacher Stephen Loh Soon Ann, who died in Friday's boating accident in Cambodia, as a teacher of promise.

An engineer who made a mid-career switch to become a teacher only six months ago, Mr Loh had already made an impact in the school by building up a strong squash team and being involved in leadership building and the track and field team.

"We are saddened because in the six months, he was very, very engrossed with teaching... he was a teacher of promise and (his) switch to (the) teaching profession was a good one. The kids loved him," said Mrs Cheng.

Naturally, the news came as a shock for all.

"They knew that Stephen had gone to Cambodia. Everybody was very anxious and when they said he was among the five who were missing, that was a terrible moment for us," she added.

With news that his body was found on Sunday morning, the school will now meet teachers and students to offer help and counselling.

"Usually when such tragedy strikes, the reaction sets in later. We think we should be there for the children and the teachers, and also those who have worked with him. I am sure Stephen will want us to be strong," said Mrs Cheng.

The school is also in touch with his family to offer whatever help they can.

- CNA/so