Elderly man dies before fulfilling wish of reuniting with estranged daughter

All this elderly man ever wanted was to reunite with his daughter, whom he had been estranged for 23 years.

But last Saturday (April 16), 77-year-old Wang Jilin died in the early morning before he had the chance to fulfil his wish, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Wang, who had worked odd jobs and was a medium in a temple for over 35 years, had a history of smoking.

He was often hospitalised for asthma and lung-related health issues over the past five years.

In 2019, he publicly appealed for help to find his daughter who had not been in contact with the family for some 20 years.

He said he wanted to apologise to her personally. 

Speaking to reporters from Shin Min Daily News later that year, Wang said: "My daughter brought her four-year-old grandson to visit. I forgot what I had said to her, but she stormed out with her son after that.

"I blame myself for not raising her well and not letting her receive a good education. I want to find my daughter, and I also want to see my grandson."

Following his death, the man's god-daughter, Chen Shuhua, had taken care of his funeral arrangements. She had also conveyed his last wish through an obituary.

Speaking to the Chinese daily, the 56-year-old said that Wang felt guilty about how he had treated his daughter, who is now in her fifties.

"His last wish was to find her. Unfortunately, he was unable to do so before his death," Chen said, adding that her god-father had asked for his daughter's whereabouts during their conversations on the phone. 

Relatives and friends who had learnt of Wang's death also expressed their hope that his daughter would visit him for the last time and see to his last rites.

The wake is currently held at Blk 113 Edgefield Plains in Punggol and the funeral is scheduled for Wednesday (April 20).

chingshijie@asiaone.com