Leonard Andrew De Vries lived a full life and is fondly remembered as a man of purpose. For over 86 years, he served others, strengthened communities, contributed to nation-building, and took an active interest in Asean. His kindness, generosity, and unwavering commitment touched countless lives.
He passed away peacefully on Aug 9, and his funeral was held on Aug 14 at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Family and friends from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Australia, and Singapore came together for his final farewell.
Named after the famous English cricketer Sir Leonard Hutton, he was affectionately known as “Lenny”. Born in Melaka on Sept 5, 1938, he was looked after by Archie and Gladys Holloway, his uncle and aunt, who, despite already having five children of their own, welcomed Lenny and his two siblings. His father had been captured by Japanese soldiers during the Japanese Occupation, and his mother passed away shortly after.
Leonard’s wife, Jennifer, 83, described Leonard as a loving father who always made Sundays family day. “Sunday was a sacred day for God and family. He would take the girls to the beach, for walks in parks, and just anywhere, every Sunday,” she said.
Jennifer first met Leonard through mutual friends in Negeri Sembilan, during a cricket match, and their relationship blossomed. “I wasn’t even interested in cricket,” she quipped.
Their daughters, Jo-Anne and Abigail, remember their father as a man whose life was built on three pillars: family, faith, and a passion for healthy living. In Jo-Anne’s eulogy posted on Facebook, she shared that Leonard often reminded the family during Sunday lunches to “raise people up”, a guiding principle she continues to live by today.
Reminiscing about Leonard as a stickler for routine and discipline, Abigail said in her eulogy: “In his later years, a written schedule in one of his many notebooks became the bedrock of his daily life. He followed it religiously—rising at 10 am, taking his medicine at 10.30 am, and having breakfast at 11 am.”
She added that Leonard also faced cancer with a positive can-do attitude. Even as Alzheimer’s gradually ravaged his intellect in his final years, bringing moments of deep frustration over what the disease had stolen, he never dwelt on it for long. “It simply wasn’t in his nature.”
Among Leonard’s favourite foods were Chee Cheong Fun and Oyster Kilpatrick. Abigail said that he loved going to the movies too.
Sisters and nieces of Leonard, Samantha and Amanda Johnson, 27 and 32 respectively, adored their uncle as someone who made everyone feel special and important. “He would always be dressed up, no matter the occasion. In his later years, he would always pin the Asean logo to his jacket as well. He was so full of love, and he laughed wholeheartedly. He loved everyone to the last molecule,” they said.
Faridah Merican, the First Lady of Malaysian theatre, also shared her condolences. “We were at the Specialist Teacher’s Training Institute (STTI) in 1962. Both my husband Joe and I knew your dad, me especially. Once again, our condolences. Such a great man,” she wrote in her message to the family.
Brinsford Alumni Association Malaysia (BAAM) president A R Peter described Leonard as “one of our most illustrious Brinsfordians”, an outstanding athlete, coach and mentor who contributed much towards nation-building through sports and physical fitness.
“He was an all-rounder who joined us in games, stage performances, tours and trips. Lenny was a devout Catholic. On his return to our country, Lenny worked closely with the archbishop to set up private Catholic education centres. He was highly respected and appreciated by all who came to know him,” he said.
Brinsford Lodge, also known as Malayan Teachers Training College, Brinsford, was a teacher training institution located in England that trained teachers for Malaya (now Malaysia). It operated from 1955 to 1964, preparing teachers for pre- and post-independence Malaya.
Audrey Fernando said, “I had always admired his strength and courage in what he believed about Physical Education (PE). The only person I know who never gave up on seeing PE as a professional organisation worthy of respect. Leonard was always ahead of his time, and others could not keep up with his ideas and ideals. He was inspirational to many.”
Farid from Kota Kinabalu said that Leonard guided and mentored him in achieving his PhD in PE and sports, and later, became a lecturer. He said both of them worked together to set up a PE association in Sabah. He said in his message to Jo-Anne: “Your dad was a great man, a true gentleman and my good friend. I will always remember him as a mentor, and I’m truly sad about his demise. Even during the last months of his days, we spoke with each other over the phone. He was a true friend indeed.”
Fitness motivational speaker R Sugumaran, another mentee, said: “A great man who inspired and motivated me into fitness and well-being, and who inspired me to raise my standards. Lenny’s got a big heart and is a very caring person who is always ready to give a helping hand. His kindness has touched many hearts.”
To many who knew him, Leonard was a gifted gentleman, a storyteller, a mentor, a coach, and an inspiring presence who uplifted everyone he encountered. But to this writer, he was the one who, back in the 1980s, encouraged an 11-year-old to contribute to The Green Triangle, the school magazine of Convent Green Lane, while serving as its editor and chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association. He was someone who inspired dreams to come true.
Carolyn Khor (carolynkhor@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.