Much has been said about the late former President S R Nathan and his contributions to Singapore.

The eulogies today highlighted his massive contributions to the labour movement, his heroics in the Laju incident, and his decades of public service.

But while focusing on his impressive career, it is perhaps, equally important to acknowledge the one running thread that ran throughout his life.

Umi

A short but telling part of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's eulogy focused on S R Nathan's "central and brightest thread".

This is what he had to say about the role Nathan's wife, Umi, played in our former president's life.

"Quite apart from Mr Nathan’s remarkable career, the central and brightest thread in his life was his love for Umi."

He went on to explain just how special this relationship was.

"After a courtship of 16 years, braving parental objections and a two-year separation while Umi studied in the UK, they married in 1958. Their relationship spanned an astonishing 73 years, an inspiration to us all."

PM also noted that Mrs Nathan served as the anchor for Singapore's longest serving president throughout his life.

"S R loved and honoured Umi all the days of his life.

And she in turn was his anchor throughout his career, including the 12 years that he was President , when she supported him with grace, charm and warmth. Mrs Nathan, thank you."

Happiest day of her life

73 years is a long time to be with someone.

In fact, in S R Nathan's book, S R Nathan: An Unexpected Journey, Umi admits that her childhood memory of Nathan was blurry.

"When I first met S R Nathan, I was very young -- so young I can’t remember him as a small child"

But she did remember when he was trying to court her.

"But I remember him vividly when we were both in our teens. He would cycle up and down the street to catch my eye, when my family lived in a shophouse in Muar."

Given that their courting phase was around the 40's and 50's, it makes it even more remarkable that when discussing what exactly her happiest memory in her life was, Mrs Nathan had this to say.

"I didn’t realise it then, but after 16 years of trials and tribulations, I would be rewarded with the happiest day of my life, the day I married him."

Loving lah

S R Nathan described his relationship with Umi in the most typically Singaporean way.

"Loving, lah!"

His description of love in a Straits Times interview however, delves deeper into the core of this 73 year love affair.

"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.”

Rest well, Mr Nathan, and take care, Mrs Nathan.

More about the eulogies that were delivered during Mr S R Nathan's state funeral service:

3 things we learnt about S R Nathan’s life from PM Lee’s eulogy

Tommy Koh: S R Nathan made MFA and S’pore Foreign Service among best in the world

Jennie Chua shared about the many handwritten letters that Mr Nathan wrote to his friends and colleagues

All images from Remembering S R Nathan

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