Thursday 17 November 2011

Aw Boon Par 胡文豹

AW BOON PAR 胡文豹, OStJ , CH

Aw Boon Par was born in 1885 in Rangoon and received English education. He was the third son of Aw Chu Kin. He lived all his childhood in Rangoon and helped his father to run the daily chores and also the family-owned business since he was very young. When his father died in 1908, he inherited his father’s medicine shop in Rangoon, known as Aun Eng Tong (Hall of Everlasting Peace). His famous invention including the Ban Kim Ewe (Ten Thousand Golden Oil), a concoction to remedy all maladies, later renamed to Tiger Balm.

Aw Boon Par and his brother Aw Boon Haw were best known to public as great philanthropists. He and his brother had generously donated more than USD20 million for charity purposes, all the money went to the construction and maintenance of hospitals and schools, Po Leung Kuk (Women’s Shelter House), disaster reliefs and many others to be named.

In 1938, Aw Boon Par was awarded the Certificate of Honour by King George VI, and in return for his valuable services to the Hong Kong St John Ambulance Association and Brigade, he was appointed Officer of the Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem.

He had three wives, Tay Piah Lan, Daw Saw and Teo Hong Yin. His sons were Aw Cheng Chye married Tay Chwee Sian daughter of Tay Kee Ming of Penang in 1949, and was a Director of Chung Khiaw Bank, and second son Aw Cheng Tek. Daughter, Aw Cheng Sim married Lee Aik Sim and was commissioned by his father to run the Sing Sian Daily in Bangkok. His daughter, Aw Cheng Hu was married to Lee Chee Shan (1909 – 1986), she was the President of family-owned Chung Khiaw Bank. Lee Chee Shan was a nephew to Aw Chu Kin’s wife. Aw Boon Par died in 1944.

Wives:
1. Tay Piah Lan (1888 - 1944) married in 1908
2. Daw Saw (1898 - 1985) married in 1914
3. Teo Hong Yin (1906 - 1965) married in 1927

Sons:
1. Aw Cheng Chye (1924 - 1971) married Tay Chwee Sian (b. 1926) in 1949
2. Aw Cheng Teik (b. 1932) married Lee Siew Chee in 1973.

Daughters:
1. Aw Cheng Hu (1915 - 2010) married Lee Chee Shan (1909 - 1986) in 1932
2. Aw Cheng Sim (b. 1921) married Lee Aik Sim (b. 1925) in 1950

No comments:

Post a Comment