SINGAPORE: Ng Teak Boon, one of Singapore’s beloved ice cream uncles, passed away on Saturday (June 22) at the age of 92.
Uncle Boon, as he was fondly called, was among the last hawkers to possess a license to sell ice cream anywhere in Singapore. He was usually seen at Sim Lim Tower.
Melvin Chew, who created the Facebook group Hawkers United – Dabao 2020 that went viral during the Covid-19 pandemic, announced Mr Ng’s passing on the group page on June 22.
He added that he would pay his last respects to Uncle Boon later that day.
“2 weeks ago I just saw him at Jalan Besar Hawker Centre. And I still talked to him. Passed some kopi money to him. Today he passed on. Rip Uncle Boon,” he added.
On Monday, Mr Chew posted that Uncle Boon’s burial will be held on Saturday (June 29) at noon at the Garden Of Peace 政府清心园 at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery on Cemetery South Street 18.
He also invited “friends who want to go through Uncle Boon’s last journey” to come along.
Reports say that Uncle Boon sold ice cream for over 50 years and, at the time of his demise, was still living on his own in a one-room flat at Geylang Bahru.
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In 2022, he was called Singapore’s “oldest hawker” in a Facebook post that went viral.
Larry Lai, the admin of the popular Can Eat! Hawker Food Facebook page called out netizens who merely included Uncle Boon in their videos on TikTok, asking them instead to help him by buying ice cream from him.
“Minimally buy $20-$30 from him mah. And stop sticking your label on his cart,” wrote Mr Lai. At the time, only eight vendors, like Uncle Boon, were left with street-selling ice cream licenses in Singapore.
He praised the hawker for being “so independent” and “robust for his age,” adding that he “really manifests the spirit and strength of the Silver Generation.”
“That’s why his life journey is so compelling,” wrote Mr Lai.
More than 600 comments have been on Mr Chew’s post since June 22, with many posting their fond memories of having bought ice cream from Uncle Boon and expressing condolences to the family.
Others expressed regrets that they had not visited him for some time and wished they had done so. /TISG
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