Additional photos: NoonTalk Media, 8 Days
Hundreds of fans and celebrities including Zoe Tay and Fann Wong showed up at the wake of actor Aloysius Pang today (January 26) to pay their final respects.
Even though the public memorial started at noon, members of the public began forming a queue as early as 10am. After the memorial was opened to public, there was a steady stream of visitors, with some waiting up to an hour in the line.
Among the celebrities who were spotted at the wake were Aloysius's girlfriend Jayley Woo, Zoe Tay, Fann Wong, Christopher Lee, Chen Shucheng, and Jeanette Aw. And while most politely declined to share their thoughts, Zoe stopped to speak to reporters before paying her respects.
“He had his own way of thinking and was always willing to learn (from others),”Ah Jie said with tears brimming from her eyes. “He was an actor with great potential and a person with a strong will.” As she continued speaking, tears rolled down her cheeks as she recalled the time Aloysius went out of his way to give her a lift home.
Huang Biren said, “He was a very good, courteous and sensible boy (…) He’s a man of few words, but he always did his job well.”
Shaun Chen also had nothing but praise for Aloysius, “He was a very hardworking young man and I respect him a lot. He kept a lot to himself and there’s a lot we don’t know about him, but we know that he’s very hardworking.
Lin Meijiao, who attended the wake with daughter Chantalle Ng, said, “He was a really good boy. He’s really very sensible and all of our hearts are very heavy after hearing the news. For those in showbiz, this is very upsetting (…) My impression of him is really good. He always gave us space and never bothered us, but would always be there when we needed him."
His fan club, the Pangsters, also arrived in a group to pay their respects together, all donning the bright orange fan club T-shirt that they often wore to events to show their support for him. Visibly emotional, they exchanged hugs as they waited for their turn to enter the wake.
His label mates, including Xu Bin, Timothee Yap and Kimberly Chia, were seen helping out at the wake. The actor's older brothers, Jefferson and Kenny Pang, were also seen receiving visitors.
Aloysius suffered serious injuries while carrying out repair works on a self-propelled howitzer during a Singapore Armed Forces exercise in New Zealand on January 19. He underwent three surgeries in four days but succumbed to his injuries and died at 8.45pm on January 23 at Waikato Hospital.
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said that Aloysius will be accorded a military funeral on Sunday.
His management label, NoonTalk Media, announced that a memorial service will be held before the military funeral, where friends and colleagues will deliver eulogies for the 28-year-old. His body will then be taken to Mandai Crematorium.
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