SINGAPORE – Veteran Singaporean heritage tourist guide Geraldene Lowe-Ismail died on Feb 17 at the age of 86.
She had suffered from dementia and other health ailments, and experienced breathing difficulties on Feb 15, her close contacts told The Straits Times. She died peacefully in a nursing home in Perth two days after.
She is survived by two sons – Iskandar Ismail and Mikhail Ismail – and their families, and was buried next to her late husband Ahmad Ismail and daughter Apsara Ismail in Perth on Feb 18.
Affectionately dubbed a “walking encyclopedia” by her son Iskandar, Mrs Lowe-Ismail dedicated around five decades to illuminating the rich tapestry of Singapore’s history and culture for both locals and visitors.
She was born in 1938 to Eurasian parents and spent her early years in Singapore before heading to Australia, where she attended a boarding school in Perth.
Returning to Singapore in the 1950s, she worked for Indian airline Air India and trading company Anglo French Trading, travelling extensively across Europe and Asia.
Her experiences led her to organise tours, including rugged trips to Cambodia, for expatriates. She also learnt multiple languages, paving the way for her career as a tour guide.
Veteran tour guide Geraldene Lowe-Ismail preferred conducting walking tours to coach tours so she could showcase the nooks and crannies of each location. PHOTO: ST FILE
She pioneered walking tours of Singapore’s ethnic enclaves, temple festivals, traditional trades like giant joss stick-makers and Chinese calligraphers, and unique architectural sites, offering participants an immersive exploration of the country.
In the mid-1960s, she was part of a team set up to develop a comprehensive 50-week training programme for tour guides – a curriculum that remains foundational in guide licensing today.
She moved back to Perth to be closer to family after retiring in 2013.
A Feb 17 media statement posted on Instagram by the Singapore Heritage Society (@sgheritagesociety) – of which Mrs Lowe-Ismail was a founding member in 1987 – wrote: “She was a pioneering figure in Singapore’s heritage and tourism sectors, known for her encyclopedic knowledge and passionate dedication to preserving and sharing the rich history of our nation.
“Ms Geraldene Lowe-Ismail’s passing is not only a great loss to society, but also a great loss to Singapore.”
Her contributions were recognised with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism at the Singapore Experience Awards in 2014, and she was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018.
Her legacy is etched not only in the annals of Singapore’s tourism history, but also in the hearts of those she inspired.
Mrs Lowe-Ismail received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism from then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2014. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE
Among them is freelance tourist guide Charlotte Chu, 64, who was mentored by Mrs Lowe-Ismail nearly 17 years ago.
“I never thought I’d become a tourist guide, but she inspired me in a way that changed my life,” says Ms Chu, who last visited her in Perth in August 2024.
Tourist guide trainer May Hui, 71, met Mrs Lowe-Ismail in 1980, when the latter was serving as the first president of the Registered Tourist Guides Association of Singapore.
“We all knew her as someone who was dedicated to her craft and generous with her knowledge. She was always so willing to share whatever she knew with the young guides,” says Ms Hui, who was the association’s first honorary secretary and a close friend of Mrs Lowe-Ismail.
Tourist guide trainer May Hui last visited Mrs Lowe-Ismail in Perth in January 2020. PHOTO: MAY HUI
When Ms Hui last visited Mrs Lowe-Ismail in January 2020 in Perth, she remembers the late octogenarian tearfully telling her how much she missed Singapore as they said their goodbyes.
ST understands that a memorial service is being planned for Mrs Lowe-Ismail in Singapore, but details have not yet been confirmed. For more information, go to the Singapore Heritage Society’s Facebook and Instagram (@sgheritagesociety) pages.
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