August 26, 2016, 10:42 AM 
Social worker. Unionist. Civil servant. Diplomat. President.
The late former President S R Nathan is a man of few words because he is a do-er.
He reformed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was the key negotiator during the 1974 Laju hijacking incident. He was Singapore's main representative in Malaysia (1988-1990) and the United States (1990-1996). He started the President's challenge.
Besides doing stuff, the late former President actually came up with several candid and humourous quotes over the years. Here are 12 quotes to remember his life:
1. On his relationship with his wife.
"Loving, lah!", when asked by The Straits Times what he is like as a husband.
Source: Photo from Mr Nathan's personal collection, Remembering S R Nathan Facebook.
Nathan courted for 16 years before her parents agreed to the marriage.
2. On love.
Source: Photo from Mr Nathan's personal collection, Remembering S R Nathan Facebook.
“It’s difficult to describe love...It’s an emotional feeling and something triggers inside you. You just know this is the person you are meant to be with. You forget about the whole world and you think only about this person. Your imagination runs wild.” The Straits Times
3. On the Laju hijacking incident.
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Mr Nathan told The Straits Times in a 2010 interview that he had a moment of existential fear in the 13-flight that he would never see his wife or two children again.
He steadied himself with these words in his heart: "Have faith and do your duty."
When he recounted this moment decades later to reporters, he concluded: "Laju was nothing; it was just an instance. We all carry these responsibilities in public service." The Straits Times
4. There are strikes, and there are strikes.
Source: Remembering S R Nathan Facebook page.
Mr Nathan on his welcome by staff when he became the Executive Chairman, Straits Times Press (1975) Ltd, and concurrently director of Singapore Press Holdings Ltd.
"I had seen bigger strikes than that! They (journalists) were only wearing black armbands and jumping about. But when they saw I was not doing what they expected me to do, they began to have confidence." The Straits Times
5. His mission as the President.
Roslan Rahman, AFP, Getty Images.
"Questions have been asked as to what I hope to achieve in this new Mission. All I can say is that I will be a President for all Singaporeans. Every community of Singaporeans will be my parish.", Speech at the swearing in of the sixth President at the Istana, Sep 1, 1999.
6. At the final President's Challenge that he presided in 2011.
President’s Challenge Facebook
"As I stand before you to launch President’s Challenge for the 12th year, I cannot help but feel a sense of satisfaction that a small initiative that had its humble beginnings 11 years ago has taken off in ways that I never imagined it would. I am very proud of the fact that our society has shown through its support that it is one that cares, shares, and most importantly, gives generously." Speech at the launch of the President's Challenge 2011 at Jalan Besar Stadium.
7. Hawker assistant who became our President.
Source: Remembering S R Nathan Facebook.
"I had expected to remain a hawker assistant all my life. And then things happened," he told The Straits Times in 2011.
8. On his share of public responsibilities.
Source: Istana Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore, Remembering S R Nathan Facebook page.
Referring to God, S R Nathan joked that "the man up there has decided that some of us have to work harder to earn our keep". The Straits Times
9. On how being a president changed his life.
"I realised that I had to change my lifestyle, to maintain a certain decorum...There are no books to tell you how to do that...I did wonder how the political leaders who had been my superiors previously would now react. In fact, they were very correct in their behaviour towards me as head of state". S R Nathan in Conversation with Timothy Auger, 2015.
10. On the significance of the elected presidency.
"[A]lthough he (the President) must not trespass on the prerogatives of the executive arm of government, he must be free to think in terms of the interests of the nation as a whole and exercise his discretion where the Constitution requires him to". S R Nathan in Conversation with Timothy Auger, 2015.
11. On how he put his own stamp on the presidency.
“Up to that time the presidency had been quite formal, I decided to interact with people on their level, rather than expect them to rise to mine...I wanted to show that the presidency was approachable. And I received a lot of warmth in return.” S R Nathan in Conversation with Timothy Auger, 2015.
12. On what it is like to be a "former President".
Photo from Mr Nathan's personal collection, Source: Remembering S R Nathan Facebook page.
"After I left office, I expected people to forget me after a few months. But I've been very pleasantly surprised. I'm still greeted warmly by ordinary people of all races...As for the younger generation in general, I'm not sure where they stand -- they are more ambivalent, but maybe young people are less likely to relate with enthusiasm to any ex-President!" S R Nathan in Conversation with Timothy Auger, 2015.
Mr Nathan is wrong for once, as more than 20,000 visitors paid their last respects to him yesterday.
RIP Mr Nathan.
Top photo by BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images.
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