Ex-principal of Fairfield Methodist dies at 102; student of 78 years bid her farewell

Former Fairfield Methodist School principal Zheng Lin Bao Luan (transliterated), who dedicated nearly four decades of her life to education and mentoring young people, died peacefully on Sunday (June 7) at the age of 102.

Zheng passed away at her daughter's home and is survived by three children.

Among those who gathered to pay their respects was former student Lin Mei Nam (transliterated), 86, who first met Zheng when she was eight years old. The pair remained close for 78 years, long after Lin had left school.

Standing at the wake as a volunteer receptionist, Lin recalled how Zheng had gone out of her way to help students succeed.

"To help me do well in my exams, she would invite me to her home and coach me personally, even though she was not my class teacher," she told Zaobao.

Inspired by her mentor, Lin joined the Girls' Brigade and continued serving the organisation after graduation.

Lin recalled how Zheng "was a strict principal and carried herself with great authority, but she was also one of the most caring educators I have ever known".

Zheng's youngest daughter, Zheng Xiu Hui (transliterated), 60, told the Chinese newspaper that the family had been prepared for her passing after their mother's health deteriorated in recent weeks.

"In recent years, my mother had been bedridden or dependent on a wheelchair. Last month, my sister told my brother and me that she was eating very little, so we knew the time was approaching," she said at the wake.

A lifetime in education

Born in the early 1920s, Zheng studied at Fairfield Methodist School and lived through the hardships of World War II, Zaobao reported.

According to her youngest daughter, Zheng remained determined to pursue her education despite the turmoil of war.

"After one air raid, she still went to school the next day to sit for an examination, completed her studies during the war and later returned to her alma mater as a teacher," she said.

Zheng began teaching at Fairfield Methodist School around 1945 before receiving a scholarship to further her studies in Britain. Upon her return, she resumed teaching and steadily rose through the ranks, eventually becoming principal.

She was also actively involved in the Girls' Brigade, serving in various leadership capacities and helping to shape generations of students beyond the classroom.

In the 1960s, Zheng left the school to join the Ministry of Education as a school inspector, where she worked until her retirement in 1984.

In a Facebook post on June 7, the Fairfield Alumni account announced Zheng's passing and shared details of her wake. Several of the school's alumni also expressed their condolences in the comments.

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eriko.lim@asiaone.com