When I learnt of the passing away of Yolanda Celine Beh from her obituary which appeared in The Sunday Times on 19 December 2010, I felt a deep shock. The sudden news had been made more poignant as I had met Yolanda earlier in last year at a weekend afternoon concert at The Esplanade.

On 20 December 2010, I attended the Funeral Mass at the Church of St Ignatius at King’s Road. Eulogies were delivered by her immediate family members, who recalled loving remembrances of her. I was also met up with members of the team who traveled with her at her last Israeli trip.

My acquaintance with Yolanda went back as early as the seventies, if not earlier.  She was among the librarians from Singapore who attended CONSAL II (Second Conference of Southeast Asian Librarians) in the Philippines, 10–14 December 1973.  A photo of this group from Singapore was published on page 36 of Collective Memories: 50 Years of Librarianship (a publication in commemoration of LAS/PPM Golden Jubilee 1955 – 2005).  We continued to meet regularly at LAS functions, besides regional library conferences and international ones held in the region.  She had always been fully cognizant of representing her institution.

Yolanda had been a strong and faithful supporter of LAS (Library Association of Singapore), being its Vice-President 1976/77 and also serving on the Editorial Board of Singapore Libraries.

We shall miss her presence and her winsome smile. God bless her!

Contributed by Daniel Chan Thye Seng