Tai was one of the richest men I have ever known. This may comes as a surprise until you realise I am not talking about the material wealth of possessing gold, silver and diamonds but about the treasure he had stored in his heart. His heart was full of love, of laughter and of an abounding zest for life.
Everyone who knew Tai soon realised Thip, his wife, Sai and Sim, his children, were the centre of his life and his love. For them today is a day of great sadness as they mourn the loss of a husband and father. But let their tomorrow be a day of remembering what a devoted husband and father he was by recalling the good times and the happy times they shared together as a family.
The last time I visited this temple was for a much happier and more joyful occasion. Along with many others here today, I was invited to join Tai's family celebration of Sai's ordination as a boy monk. Tai was immensely proud of his son that day and I will always choose to remember the happiness and joy with which he greeted me on my first visit to this temple rather than the solemnity of today.
Tai's heart also swelled with pride at the very mention of Sim his daughter. He was devoted to her and tried to provide her with the best of everything. He took a keen interest not only in her schoolwork but also in her hobbies and interests outside school, encouraging her to do the best she could in every kind of activity she became interested.
But it was Thip who was at the very centre of Tai's life. Never have I met a couple who were so devoted to each other and who were still as much in love with each other at the end as they were on the day they married. He was her guiding light, but for Tai, Thip was the solid and unfailing rock he knew he could rely on; she was the reason he found the courage to fight for so long against his illness. Tai left this world in the certain knowledge he could depend on Thip's strength of character to be both mother and father to their children.
Thip, Sim and Sai will face many challenges in the days ahead without the presence of a devoted husband and loving father. But I hope and pray they will always hear Tai speaking to them in their hearts and minds at those times they need his help and advice. And as they mourn and grieve their loss, let us, their friends and family, extend our love for Tai by giving his wife and children all the help and support we can.