| Lee York Sin | |
| Birth: | 1883? Hainan, China (then Qing Dynasty) |
| Death: | 28 November 1991 Singapore General Hospital, Central Region, Singapore |
| Age: | 108 years, 0+ days? |
| Country: |  CHN SGP
|
| Centenarian | |
Lee York Sin (1883? – 28 November 1991) was a Chinese-born Singaporean centenarian.
Biography[]
According to his national identity card, Lee York Sin was born in Hainan, China in 1883, although his son alleged in 1986 that he was actually 106, pushing his birth year to 1879 or 1880. Lee migrated to Singapore with a few villagers on a Junk. Upon his arrival in Singapore, he worked odd jobs and earned $2 a month. A skilful swimmer, in 1908, aged 25, he became a fisherman.
In 1913, Lee returned to China during a fishing trip and returned to Singapore with a 16-year-old bride, Goh See. Lee and his wife set up a beef stall in what was then Orchard Road market. Together they had 6 children. Goh See passed away during World War II. Lee never remarried and continued selling beef for another 20 years.
Lee later opened a beef noodle stall at Johore Road which he ran with his daughter. He remained active in his later years, enjoying cycling and sightseeing. He also named beef, beer, durian and chocolate amongst his favourite foods. He spent seven years travelling to Taipei, Hawaii and California where some of his children resided. He also took part in a walkathon in July 1990 with a son.
On 26 November 1991, he was admitted to Singapore General Hospital after developing a fever and breathing difficulties. He passed away two days later on 28 November 1991 at about 3pm local time, aged about 108. If his son's claim that Lee was born in 1879 or 1880 is to be believed, he could have been a supercentenarian, aged 110 or 111.
Although he had been living with his second daughter at her four-room Tanjong Pagar flat, the family held the wake at Johore Road where he had spent almost half his life selling beef noodles. The wake was attended by more than 100 relatives, friends and former neighbours.
References[]
- Centenarian who loved durians dies at 109 The Straits Times, 3 December 1991, Page 20
- My favourite fare? Beef, beer, durian, says S'pore's oldest man The Straits Times, 10 March 1986, Page 8