Page 64 - Eclipse - Autumn 2021

IN MEMORIAM

effort, he worked as an assistant in mixed absurd sense of humour and warmth will
practice. Mah Soon eventually set up his be greatly missed.
own veterinary practice in Headington,
MAH SOON HO (1968) Oxford in 1975 and ran it as a business The family are happy to be working
31-07-1938 – 02-06-2021 with his wife Yook Yen, a trained nurse alongside the RVC on the widening
participation scheme, to improve
and midwife, until 2012. It was an open
surgery system; notes were hand- diversity for those who enter the
written on record cards; treatments were veterinary profession.
practical; the queues stretched out the Great thanks to those who made
door. Being sole charge meant that he generous donations in lieu of flowers
was always on call. He would dash out to this project. Many of these kind gifts
to pick up injured deer from the nearby came from Mah Soon’s family, particularly
motorway in the middle of the night for cousins who live in Singapore, as well as
the police, or interrupt dinner to see from colleagues and dear friends. More
an emergency. Living next door to the can be read about the fund below.
practice meant that the business was
part of his family life.

Mah Soon was old-fashioned, super
kind, hard-working and loved his role as
a vet in east Oxford. He enjoyed chatting
with people and exchanging stories and
jokes. He had an impressive memory for
individuals and their lives and was thrilled
to see children who visited with their
Mah Soon HO was born in 1938 parents become parents themselves.
and grew up in Singapore. He worked in His focus was on helping pets as
a chicken factory after leaving school but cherished members of a family unit,
had a dream to travel the world. Luckily, who in turn were part of a wider society.
his uncle sponsored him to go to the Prices stayed modest throughout his
UK to study A-levels, encouraged him career. When it came for time to retire,
to apply to university, and supported his he turned down the opportunity to sell
studies at the RVC. He always spoke his small business to a large veterinary
fondly of student life in Camden, lodging corporation, saying he didn't want to let THE HO MAH SOON FUND
in Cholmeley Park, driving a tiny car his clients down.
which he called Little Daisy and going on Mah Soon's family raised over £5000
camping trips and outdoor adventures in his memory and asked the RVC
with classmates. to use this to help improve diversity
within the veterinary profession. The
funds are being used to hold two
information events at the Camden
Campus for children from different ethnic
backgrounds to encourage them to
consider careers involving animals and
to fund bursaries for BPOC students
Mah Soon was always a keen swimmer to enable them to participate in two-
and body builder and maintained a fit and week equine AHEMS placements
healthy lifestyle until he broke his neck in without worrying about the significant
a tragic accident. He spent the last seven accommodation and travel costs.
years of his life in the Close Care Home,
a residential nursing home in Oxfordshire, If you would like to do something special
and passed away after a very short illness in memory of a loved one, or contribute
on 2 June 2021 at the age of 82. He is specifically to the Ho Mah Soon Fund,
survived by his wife, Yook Yen; his children or would like to support students or
Mah Soon graduated in 1968 in the Wuon-Gean, Cheyne-Gaw, Jaye and prospective students in other ways,
height of the foot and mouth disease Feng; and his grandchildren Alby, Aoife- please call us on 01707 666237 or
crisis. After helping out with the national Mae, Arlo and Saoirse-Lily. His kindness, contact us at act@rvc.ac.uk

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