Lee Chin Koon (1 June 1903 – 12 October 1997) was a Singaporean storekeeper, manager, and salesman who was formerly employed with theShell Oil Company. Prominently, he was also the father ofLee Kuan Yew and the paternal grandfather ofLee Hsien Loong, the first and thirdPrime Minister of Singapore respectively.
During theGreat Depression, Lee's family was affected but,[1] in the 1930s, he managed to secure a job as a storekeeper forShell Oil Company, later becoming a manager afterWorld War II.[2] He later worked at a shop at High Street namedB.P. de Silva, selling watches and jewellery.[3]
Lee marriedChua Jim Neo (1905–1980) on 20 May 1922 when he was 18 and she was 16 in a traditional Chinesearranged marriage by Chua's family.[5] Together they had 5 children including the first Prime Minister of Singapore,Lee Kuan Yew.[6] In 1945, Lee and Chua bought abungalow at38 Oxley Road.[1] Lee was a frequent gambler, usually being stood up by Chua when he went to gamble.[7]
In 1959, after Lee Kuan Yew was elected Prime Minister, Lee led a mostly private life, having told a cousin, "I don't like publicity."[8]
^Hung, David; Ee, Ling Low; Oon, Seng Tan (6 March 2017).Lee Kuan Yew's Educational Legacy: The Challenges of Success. Springer Nature Singapore. p. 4.ISBN9789811035258.
