Robby Pho, was born on 27 May 1947, in Indonesia, off the small town of Sorong in West Papua, on an even smaller island called Doom Island, also known as Pulau Doom.

But nothing about Robby was small. He was a big man with a big heart, big appetite, big family, big circle of friends, and left us all a big legacy.

My father was schooled mostly in Singapore, having attended De La Salle Primary school, followed by St Joseph’s Institution for secondary school.

Since he held a Dutch Passport, my amah decided to send him to Europe, London to study in junior college, and made many good friends, especially those he shared an apartment with. My father never went to university and was not a graduate, but he attended the school of hard knocks, and was educated with the many lessons life presented him. He seized opportunities when they presented themselves, and faced life with zeal and gusto.

From Singapore, he returned to the