| Yeo Kim Chiam | |
| Birth: | 1881 |
| Death: | 29 March 1983 Singapore |
| Age: | 102 years |
| Country: |  SGP
|
| Centenarian | |
Yeo Kim Chiam (1881 – 29 March 1983) was a Singaporean centenarian.
Biography[]
Yeo Kim Chiam was born in 1881. She was one of two wives of Chinese-born Khoo Yang Tin (1857 - 25 December 1943; aged 87), a rice trader and a Director of the Chinese Commercial Bank where other prominent Chinese pioneers were in the Board of Directors. They had nine children - five sons and four daughters. They had a home at 358 River Valley Road. Khoo Yang Tin was buried at Bukit Brown Cemetery. The family also owned vast amounts of land in land-scarce Singapore when some of it was acquired by the Singapore government in 1985.
Their two eldest sons were Khoo Teck Soon and Khoo Teck Chuan who have for many years been associated with the United Chinese Bank. The elder, Teck Soon, would pass away a year after Yeo, at the age of 82.
Their third son was Singaporean billionaire, banker, hotel owner and philanthropist Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat (13 January 1917 – 21 February 2004; aged 87). The Khoo Teck Puat Hospital was named in his honour him. Prior to his death, his fortune was estimated to be S$4.3 billion (US$3,195,953,500) and was the wealthiest man in Singapore at one point. One of Yeo's grandsons through him is Eric Khoo a film director and producer who is often credited for the revival of the Singapore modern film industry.
Yeo died in Singapore on 29 March 1983, aged 102. She was survived by seven children (her fourth son and eldest daughter had predeceased her), 57 grandchildren, 55 great-grandchildren and many great-great- and great-great-great-grandchildren.
Their home, situated on approximately 60,000 square feet of land at 358 River Valley Road, was sold to Hong Leong Holdings for S$11,800,000 in 1987.
References[]
- Yeo Kim Chiam's Obituary The Straits Times, 31 March 1983, Page 39
- Khoo Yang Tin's Obituary Shonan Times (Syonan Shimbun), 28 December 1943, Page 2
- Khoo Teck Soon's Obituary The Straits Times, 15 May 1984, Page 31
- Teck Puat raising $80m from sales of prime land The Straits Times, 26 June 1987, Page 32
- Land acquired The Straits Times, 6 October 1985, Page 10
- The grave story of a bell Bukit Brown Cemetery: Our Roots, Our Future, 5 September 2011