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Jonathan Lim deactivated

04 Nov - 23 Jan

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Jon Lim was loving, playwriting genius who gave out hugs, smiles and strong opinions freely. Sometimes in that order. Eating with him was discovering that the carnivore diet was alive and well in Singapore. While I wish he was still with us, I know he's watching us, possibly chiding and teasing us, as we think of him and what he's done for the art scene in Singapore. Sharing Siva's words on FB: "You're supposed to be around to regale us with your stories and larger than life aura; we're supposed to be rolling on the floor laughing along with your bawdy, politically incorrect and wicked humour, off and on the stage. I mean c'mon , the elections are around the corner, and the Chestnuts have yet to deal with the shenanigans of the Men in White over the past few years. Where will i go for my fix of the Pondan Network News? Who will now direct the soft porn version of the Abilene Paradox? Who will answer the eternal question, "Was everybody REALLY Kung Fu Fighting?" And as i laugh at the craziness of Jonathan Lim, i am in tears and heartbroken by the void this big man has left. A Giant with so much Humanity, Tenderness and Creativity. The hearts of our band of COFAC BROTHERS feel so shattered. I'm feeling quite lost."

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15-02 2025 10:01 View / Comment (0)

Rocky Anonymous user

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The first line from Jon when he meets his friends is always "Say hi to the camera! Wave wave wave!", and that would begin the night with discussion on lots of topics, from hundreds of songs he was selecting for his latest scripts, to the new flavor of chips he just discovered in the past weeks. As a playwright, Jon is always going one step further than anyone else to bring deeper sense of understanding to his shows, and this always helped his audience to better appreciate the world. And as a friend, Jon never failed to bring comfort and wisdom over beer or BBQs. He cares for his friends deeply, and is willingly to spend countless time to listen and chat. You would always wonder how this man is able to support everybody around him in every stages of their lives. "Smile smile, look here". Dear Jon, you are deeply missed.

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27-01 2025 09:23 View / Comment (0)

Jason Bay

Jason Bay

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Jon had high and exacting standards for his craft, and especially for himself. I had the great privilege to watch and learn from Jon in action. He had a singular vision and the deepest conviction in getting every small detail exactly right. He embodied the spirit and essence of our community.

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26-01 2025 12:36 View / Comment (0)

Aaron Maniam

Aaron Maniam

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Tributes are – rightly – coming in fast and furious from the theatre and arts community, where Jon was well-known as a gifted writer, rigorous practitioner and generous mentor. I was privileged to know him in a different capacity. One where his presence was no less substantial, his gifts no less prodigious – and where his loss leaves an equally massive Jon-shaped hole. For our reservist duties, we were both Cohesion Facilitators at 2 PDF – our group designed workshops to support senior commanders (mostly NS, but some regulars too, especially in recent years) with their team dynamics and leadership needs. Jon joined the group in 2007; by the time I joined in 2010, his centrality in the community was clear. As often pointed out by Prakash, one of the original COFACs and still a key driving force in the community, Jon was the heart of our band of brothers – which is why we’re all still reeling from the suddenness of his passing. Jon’s love for the community was manifest and abundant. Some of it, one might attribute to his general interest in people. His social media feed always struck me as deeply people-oriented -- if I am being honest, it was also food-oriented, but he hardly ever ate alone! The posts were always about a meal with a good friend, sometimes new, sometimes a reconnection, but always full of reverence for the sacredness of the relationship. When I joined the COFACs, arriving wide-eyed and unfamiliar on my first day, it was Jon who immediately struck up a conversation over breakfast before our training started. He was curious, smiling, enthusiastic. I had the feeling I was in the presence of a lavish kindness, one which I was to both experience and witness many times in the next 15 years. I’d like to think the COFACs had a very special place in Jon’s heart. After completing our NS commitments years ago, we both chose to stay on as volunteers. When the statutory volunteering period ended, we both still couldn’t let go, so along with a small group of others, we stuck around as mentors, with no formal role apart from helping the community keep learning and growing. One of the things I will remember most about Jon was how much he cared, not just about his fellow NSmen, but also the young NSF’s who supported our work. Jon never failed to chat with them, ensuring they felt seen, recognised, valued. This was never just about ensuring they got their work done; he stayed in touch with them years after they ORDed, supporting their projects, cheering them on in life, attending their weddings, having dinner with them regularly, helping them deal with losses and setbacks. He took countless photos of us all – often wefies taken with a huge non-smart-phone camera that only his large hands could have carried. As another dear friend, Emmanuel, pointed out to me as we’ve both grieved on WhatsApp – Jon was unfailingly smiling in each photo, full of affection for the people he was with, and who loved him just as much. Jon was a keen advocate for NS as a movement and institution. He felt passionately for Singapore – something the rest of the public got to see in his hilarious plays and creative work, but that we also got to see in the energy and drive he brought to our workshops. It was difficult not to feel enthusiastic about anything with him – he made this seem so natural, so effortless. Conversely, cynicism just seemed so lazy when he was willing to do the hard work of loving both the people and the country he felt privileged to serve. He was a facilitator through and through, brimming with human empathy and an acute sense for the emotional undercurrents in any situation. He brought a theatre practitioner’s keen humanity to our workshops, and always pushed us to design them with due regard for the heart, not just the head and hand. Even if this meant long discussions late into the day, Jon made sure that the commanders we served got nothing but our best. He was also a staunch protector of our work, insisting many times that the circles in which we conducted our discussions were sacred spaces, never to be compromised with shoddy work. It was quintessential Jon to set the highest standards in everything – most of all for himself, and his boundless energy meant we were all carried by his gravitational pull. A few times, we were lucky enough to witness his creativity, love for our community, passion for NS and personal rigour come together – particularly when he wrote lyrics for special events like the retirement of one our treasured champions within 2 PDF, and our own community’s 20th anniversary in 2022. It would have been so easy to perform as a bunch of amateurs – no one would have blamed us. But Jon held us to something higher, ensuring that we got as close to perfection in every note, every harmony, every word. So many of his modified lyrics are playing in my mind now – many written for others, but taking on new layers of meaning now with his passing. His parody of Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are” assured a retiring officer that “we won’t even try / to check you out with our eyes dry” (check-outs being a key facilitation tool to provide closure to workshops). His modifications to “The Rainbow Connection” included the beautiful line “All we’ve become becomes all that we’re teaching”, which I was so pleased we got to sing together; later in the song he had us ask, “Have you seen those who left / Keep on returning / That’s how this family stays strong” … Most of all, I think of his wonderfully evocative version of Maroon 5’s “Memories”: “Cheers to the ones who are here, Cheers to the ones far away, but they’re near Cos the drinks bring back all the memories Of everything we’ve been through …” Here’s to the COFAC we know Cheers to the future - we’ll watch how you grow And we’ll all be part of the memories And the memories link to, memories cling to you.” I honestly don’t how our community will carry on without you, Jon. Your untiring energy and huge, huge heart are irreplaceable. There were so many more songs we thought you'd sing; so many more conversations to have at the 2 PDF canteens and our learning corner. But I can promise one thing: we will try to keep going, and in the process we will remember you with the same fierce love you gave us all. We can’t check you out of the community with our eyes dry. All we’ve become has become all that we’re teaching – you shaped so much of that. As you leave, we hope you keep returning, living on in our hearts and in our minds. And every time we have a drink (yes, even me with my ginger ales), we will have one for you. Because you’ll always be part of our memories. Keep watch over us, dear friend, and rest easy.

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26-01 2025 07:54 View / Comment (0)

Ming Low

Ming Low

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Jon cared about this world. He observed people, relationships, culture, language, places and changes, and through his gifts, musicals, plays, tours and books were created. He cared about his friends, the countless conversations and meet ups, will be remembered.

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26-01 2025 06:14 View / Comment (0)

Minghui Anonymous user

Minghui Anonymous user

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Jon loved life and lit up any room he was in. Such a talented writer, director and artist, and yet so humble and down to earth. He was a blessing to us in COFAC with his friendship and presence. Dearly, dearly missed.

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24-01 2025 11:36 View / Comment (0)

Siva Ganesh

Siva Ganesh

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Brother Jonathan Lim (Callsign: Arty Farty) I struggled last night when i got the news, Surely Fake, i thought and probably a Chestnuts worthy prank. Even till this morning, i was in denial till confirmation came that you had indeed left us. You're supposed to be around to regale us with your stories and larger than life aura; we're supposed to be rolling on the floor laughing along with your bawdy, politically incorrect and wicked humour, off and on the stage. I mean c'mon , the elections are around the corner, and the Chestnuts have yet to deal with the shenanigans of the Men in White over the past few years. Where will i go for my fix of the Pondan Network News? Who will now direct the soft porn version of the Abilene Paradox? Who will answer the eternal question, "Was everybody REALLY Kung Fu Fighting?" And as i laugh at the craziness of Jonathan Lim, i am in tears and heartbroken by the void this big man has left. A Giant with so much Humanity, Tenderness and Creativity. The hearts of our band of COFAC BROTHERS feel so shattered. I'm feeling quite lost. As I lay a garland in the sea for my Thambi tomorrow, i'll lay one for you my brother Jon. Always in our hearts Your COFAC Brother Siva (Callsign: Mufasa)

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24-01 2025 11:11 View / Comment (0)

Vig K

Vig K

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When he turned from a mild mannered smiling Clark Kent to a fierce defender of COFAC values as we went through discussions on possible changes in how we functioned to serve 2 PDF and maintain/improve our facilitation standards.

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