IN MEMORIUM
MARY THERESA BENEDICT “ANNIE”
1947 – 2021

It is with great sadness that the Singapore Association of Las Vegas Nevada
(SALVN) must announce the passing of Mary Theresa Benedict, affectionately
known as “Annie” to SALVN members past and present dating back to the
Singapore Association of Nevada (SAN) days of which she was an original
member.

Annie was born in Singapore on July 5, 1947 and passed away on February 20,
2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A graduate of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus
Secondary School (CHIJ) in Singapore, Annie arrived in Las Vegas along with her
husband Benny, and her daughter Jennifer including her husband, Ronald and two
children. In 2000. Her eldest son, Jeffrey Benedict had preceded the arrival of the
extended family, having set up residence in Las Vegas in 1995. Another brother,
Jason, subsequently joined the family in Las Vegas at a later date.
Annie was always known to be friendly, personable and quick with a smile. An
avid basketball fan, Annie enjoyed attending her grandson Ryan’s games and
following her favorite professional team, the L.A Lakers. Annie derived much
pleasure from tending to her flower garden. SALVN members will undoubtedly
remember her outstanding cooking expertise as most have been treated through the
years to her delectable dishes, such as, Chicken Curry, Sayoh Lodeh, Rojak, Nasi
Lemak & Sambal at countless SALVN pot luck events. Annie was also known for
her caring attitude, especially as it pertained to her children and grandchildren and
even took on child care duties periodically for some of the SALVN members. In
recent months, following the death of her beloved husband, she became
particularly close to her sole surviving son Jason and his son Ryan with whom she
resided.

Annie was preceded in death by her loving husband Joseph “Benny” Benedict and
her son Jeffrey Jude Benedict. She is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Danker
and her husband Ronald, her son Jason and his wife Karen, along with
grandchildren Melissa & Vanessa Danker and Ryan Benedict.
May she rest in peace. She will be greatly missed.

The Singapore Association of Las Vegas, Nevada (SALVN) regrets to announce the death of long time and pioneer member, BENEDICT JOSEPH (affectionally known as UNCLE BENNY) who passed away peacefully yesterday, on September 23rd, 2020 from natural causes.  Uncle Benny is survived by his wife, Annie, daughter, Jennifer and son Jason, all of whom are SALVN members.  Several other extended family members who are also SALVN members also grieve presently. SALVN extends its deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time.  Further details to SALVN will be disclosed as they are obtained from the family.  

​We regret to announce the death of LAWRENCE SHING-CHUNG LEONG (affectionately known as Larry) who passed away peaceful after his battle with cancer on AUGUST 23RD in San Jose, California.  Larry was a recent member of SALVN who formed a close personal bond with several members of the Association during the past several months.  He is survived by his wife, Alma Leong, and daughter, Clara Leong.  Our deepest condolences and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. 
 
In memory of “Larry”, we hereby include a copy of the memorial pamphlet distributed at his interment RIP.  

​Greetings and Happy New Year to all our members and friends of the Association.  Another year is upon us and the previous one is “in the books” as they say.  We are fortunate to be able to say that SALVN is still vibrant and fully functioning as the close knit social organization that it has always been intended to be.  Congratulations to all are in order for we are only as strong as our membership and supporters! 

​On Saturday, September 26th, 2015-- 2015, the annual SALVN gathering for the Mooncake / Lantern Festival organized by Lim Yu and Anna was held at Paseo Park in Summerlin.  The event was heavily attended including quite a few first time attendees which is always gratifying to our Association.  The weather was still quite hot so it was particularly advantageous for the attendees that this park had plenty of trees and man-made shade areas available.  There was even a water feature for the kids to enjoy!  As usual, this potluck gathering featured a vast array of savory food for all to enjoy which was consumed with great enthusiasm by the group.  Several kids games were organized and held along with a traditional lantern walk using Fire Marshal approved (non-flammable) lanterns.  The majority of the attendees remained gathered until the park closed at approximately 8:30 pm or so.  Undoubtedly, everyone had a good time.

​TRIP TO ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH - November 6th, 7th, 9th 2015

​A group of SALVN members made our yearly trip to Zion National Park to enjoy the beauty of this park in the Fall and also hike on the very interesting hiking trails.  There were several new attendees and our Zion trip group is growing every year.  The group stayed at the Cable Mountain Lodge at Springdale, Utah and members brought their favorite pot luck dishes and made delicious food in the kitchenette in the Lodge for all to share.  We also had delicious potluck BBQ by the river which is located just across from our hotel rooms and it was most relaxing and enjoyable indeed.  The experienced SALVN members formed several groups and embarked on the hiking trails.  The SALVN members with Zion experience guided the group thru the hiking trails based on the difficulty of the trails and their experiences and age of the groups they had.  It was a wonderful bonding experience for all and definitely brought us closer as a group.  The SALVN group consisted of several generations and age groups and everyone participated in the hike and got a chance to view the very beautiful,  magnificent and breathtaking sites of Zion National Park.  We are going again next Fall and some members have already booked their rooms at Cable Mountain Lodge. 

​SALVN BOWLING MATCH – December 20th, 2015

​President, Lim Yu and his wife Anna organized SALVN’s first ever bowling match at South Point Hotel & Casino Bowling Alley on December 20th, 2015. Eleven members including Rosidnar’s son, Hadi who was visiting from Singapore participated in the event.  The bowling match winner was Germaine Kang and in second place was Aggy Ng-Errisson.  Prior to the bowling competition, the group had dinner at one of the South Point restaurants so as to beef up and gain lots of energy for the bowling challenge.   Everyone had a wonderful time and meantime the group vowed to spend more time practicing in preparation for the next competition.

​CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION - February 13th, 2016

​On February 13th, 2016 SALVN celebrated the Year of the Fire Monkey at the Joyful House of Chinese Cuisine Restaurant in Chinatown.  A good crowd was on hand representing multiple generations, long standing and relatively new members, women in beautiful traditional Cheongsam dresses, delicious food and typical SALVN good cheer carried the evening.  Following the dinner a raffle was held in which attendees tried their luck for numerous cash prizes which were awarded to eventual winners.  In addition to the raffle, outgoing SALVN President, Lim Yu introduced the new President, Ms. Jennifer Danker to the assembled gathering during the traditional handover ceremony.  Mr. Yu was awarded a plaque for his service and Jennifer gave brief remarks prior to the end of the festivities.  In all, the event was a success and a great way to start off the New Year.

​See You Next Time.  Have a Great Spring!

 ​Paul and Tanya are the proud parents of toddlers Evan and Ava.  
Mr. Yu, as the latest member of a succession of volunteer SAN Presidents has two major goals for the Association.  First, he hopes to reiterate the long standing SAN commitment to the friendly association of all Singaporeans and friends of Singapore.  Secondly, he hopes to facilitate and coordinate the first ever SAN formal election of its President. By doing so, he hopes to give the general membership a greater voice in deciding who should lead the Association going forward.

​ Towards the end of the event past SAN President, SweeLee Stephanie Chee presided over the presidential handover ceremony which included prepared remarks thanking outgoing SAN President, Kirsty Vittetoe and introducing incoming SAN President, Lim M. Yu.  Mr. Yu gave a brief acceptance speech and the attendees continued to mingle and attack the buffet items for seconds (thirds?).  The next event will probably be the MOON CAKE FESTIVAL in late September.  Keep a sharp eye for an  e-mail detailing the exact date, time, place, contact person, etc.

​Regrettably, there have been some technical issues with the SAN website, http://www.singaporenv.org for an extended period of time now.  Apologies are in order to all who have visited the site only to find it non-functioning.  Please know that efforts are being made to resolve the impacting issues.  When the website is up and running again, the membership will be notified via email.

​Such was her dedication and determination.  As a very proud Singaporean, you could usually count on her to lead the singing of Majullah Singapura at the annual National Day gatherings to conclude the event.  Her presence will be deeply missed.  Rest in peace.  Rosalind is survived by her daughter, SAN member Debbie Teng-Lorenzo, along with brother, Sunny Teng and daughter-in-law Dorothy and four grandchildren, Terence, Pamela, Angelina and Simon.

Upcoming Activities
SAVE THE DATE : Saturday, August 10, 2013.  Annual Singapore National Day celebration.  This year, the celebration will be hosted by SweeLee and Bob at their residence.  In order to maximize attendance, the event will be catered and, hopefully, Mr. Stanley Leong of the new Overseas Singaporean Unit, Western U.S. Region, will also be able to attend.  The SALVN presidency changeover will also take place at this event.   
Warmest Summer greetings to all SALVN members (perhaps HOTTEST Summer greetings would be more appropriate)  After an extended period of hiatus by the Association scribe, we are happy to report that he is now rejuvenated and ready to resume regular reporting of SALVN events via the e-Newsletter.  Much has occurred since the last issue and we will strive to provide as many pictures as possible with minimal narrative.  As previously ascertained using a survey instrument, the majority of the SALVN membership preferred four official celebrations annually roughly coinciding with the seasons of the year.  No prohibitions concerning spontaneous gatherings or special events exist and there have been several such gatherings since the publication of the last  e-Newsletter. Some of the highlights are as follows: 

1. April 2012 : Annual SALVN Summer picnic and farewell barbecue party for SALVN members Nicholas and Claire Khoo.
2. May 2012 : Dinner sponsored by the Overseas Singaporean Unit and featuring guest speaker, Mr. Chin Hock Seng, Consul-General.
3. June 2012 : Father’s Day picnic/potluck at Mount Charleston Recreation Area.
4. August 2012 : National Day Celebration barbecue at Floyd Lamb Park @ Tule Springs. 5. September 2012 : Mooncake Festival/Nasi Lemak Extravaganza Potluck combo celebration.
​6. November 2012 : Road Trip and Camping Excursion at Zion National Park, Utah.
7. February 2013 : Chinese New Year celebration at the Island Malaysian Restaurant.
8. May 2013 : Summer Picnic / Mother’s Day celebration house party.
9. June 2013 : Father’s Day celebration house party. 

1. On April 28, 2012, SAN bade farewell to members Nicholas and Claire Khoo along with their young son Tyler.  The farewell party was a barbecue picnic potluck style event held at Mountain Crest Park in the Lone Mountain area of Las Vegas.  The event was well attended and lasted into the early evening hours.  SAN wishes Nicholas, Claire and Tyler nothing but good fortune as they take up residence in Hong Kong, China.  If you should ever find yourselves back in Las Vegas, please give us a call.
​

​2. On May 10, 2012, the Singapore Consulate General’s Office in San Francisco graciously sponsored a dinner event for SALVN members and the guest speaker was Consul-General Chin Hock Seng and members of his staff.  The “meet and greet” dinner was heavily attended inasmuch as many of our hard working members assigned to irregular shifts made a special effort to attend this event.  As usual, Tess & Steven, proprietors of the Island Malaysian Cuisine Restaurant where the dinner was held, prepared an outstanding selection of tasty dishes which were consumed by the SALVN members with great enthusiasm.  Consul-General Chin was kind enough to address the group regarding the mission of the Singapore Consulate General’s Office, the Overseas Singaporean Unit (OSU) and the state of affairs in Singapore at the present time.  He also praised SALVN for bringing Singaporeans together in such a cohesive and congenial manner even though  we are in the far off Mojave Desert community of Las Vegas, Nevada.  Other staff members accompanying the Consul-General were: Ms. Ng Chew Wee of Contact Singapore Magazine; Mr. Jason Leong, US Liaison, OSU; and, Mr. Toh Boon Ho of International Enterprise Singapore.  A subsequent communication to the Consulate-General’s Office expressing the sincere appreciation of all SALVN members for the dinner and visit by the Consul-General Chin was sent by the SALVN President.  

​3. On June 17, 2012, SALVN members attended a Father’s Day picnic organized by Germaine Kang and assisted by Ronald and Jennifer Danker at picturesque Mount Charleston.  From the initial meeting place at the Mount Charleston Lodge, the attendees caravanned to a beautiful picnic & barbeque area with Germaine Kang and husband Britt Pierson as guides.  Being avid outdoors enthusiasts, they were already familiar with the best picnic locations up on the mountain and led us to an ideal spot.  In addition to all of the good food and conversation, the outing offered a brief but welcome respite from the brutal 100 degree Las Vegas heat.  The temperature on Mount Charleston can often be 30 or more degrees cooler than that in the city and as the sun began to set on the picnic attendees, the mercury did fall to the mid-60 degree range accompanied by a stiff breeze for good measure

​4. On August 12, 2012, SALVN held its annual National Day celebration.  This year’s event was held at Floyd Lamb State Park in the far northwest part of the Las Vegas valley.  A very nice private picnic area adjacent to a lake was reserved for the occasion and the barbecue pits got plenty of use as hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken wings and vegetable kabobs were among the many items on the menu.  A special “game show” type question & answer contest was held to ascertain winners of fun packs/goodie bags provided to SALVN by the OSU, National Population and Talent Division, Prime Minister’s Office.   Aside from a relentless attack by a small army of flies, everyone seemed to have had an enjoyable outing capped as usual by the singing of Majulah Singapura and posing for a group photo.

​5. The Annual Mooncake/Lantern Festival celebration was held on September 22, 2012.  The month of September is when the SALVN usually holds its pre-scheduled quarterly event to celebrate the Mooncake/ Lantern Festival.  This year, Association Vice-President, Freda Dana had an idea that the normally dessertoriented gathering could be enhanced by serving a special main course to go along with the moon cakes.  As  a result, several of the lovely SALVN ladies pooled their collective culinary expertise and prepared the savory Singapore dish known as Nasi Lemak.  The combination of coconut rice along with Sambal Chili sauce, Sayor Lodeh, cucumbers, peanuts and hard boiled eggs provided an exceptional treat to the palates of all in attendance.  While the adults savored the moon cakes and Nasi Lemak, the children got the lanterns that were mailed in from Singapore lighted and did the lantern procession walk. This event was graciously hosted by SALVN members Randy and Kirsty Vittetoe at their residence in the Lone Mountain area of Las Vegas and coordinated by Jennifer Danker and Freda Dana.  

President:  Chee Swee Lee Vice President:  Freda Dana Immediate Past President: Germaine Kang Past President: Ronald Danker 

Summer Southern Nevada salutations to all members of the Singapore Association of Nevada (SAN).  Mother nature has bestowed upon us a relatively mild season temperature wise and, hopefully, everyone’s air conditioning units have held up well.  For those who long for Singapore weather, July brought us several days of 80% plus humidity and even a few rain showers with 100 degree air temperatures to go along with them!

NEWS IN BRIEF 
Survey Results The survey distributed to the attendees at the Durian Party celebration on August 28th, 2011 yielded an interesting mix of results from the respondents which can be summarized in a few sentences.  The majority would like the Association to be involved in both social and business activities and meet formally about four times per year at private residences using the “pot luck’ style as opposed to meeting at restaurants.  The majority also favors an Association open to non-Singaporean friends but was not particularly interested in having guest speakers.  Blast or group e-mail with the ability to view all responses was the communication method of choice and the questions of business card inclusions in the e-Newsletter along with volunteerism/community service did not result in conclusive results one way or another.  Thank you to all who took the time to respond.  The results will help to guide the Association forward in the future.   
National Day The annual Singapore National Day celebration held on August 6th, 2011 was hosted this year by SAN members Nicolas and Claire Khoo at their beautiful home in Painted Desert.  Culinary delights such as laksa, buboh kachang, curry puffs, coconuts as well as egg rolls, chow mein and many desserts were in abundance and no attendee left hungry.   
At the later stages of the National Day celebration, past SAN President Ronald Danker presented a plaque to outgoing President Germaine Kang for all of her hard work during her two-year tenure.  The new SAN President, Chee Swee Lee, made a brief acceptance speech in which she articulated some of her ideas for the Association and opened the floor to questions and comments from the attendees.  Although not present due to prior travel commitments, Freda Dana was announced as the new Association Vice-President.  Best wishes go out to both for great success during the upcoming two years.  Anyone with pictures taken at the Singapore National Day celebration, please submit to SAN President, Chee Swee Lee at sschee@cox.net so that we can use them for our SAN Web site.   
Executive Board Meeting  On August 14th, 2011, the SAN Executive Board met to discuss the “state of the Association”.  Matters ranging from the sporadic attendance at Association events to the possible revamping of the SAN Web site were discussed.  Although the Board members agreed that the Singaporean community in Las Vegas is quite small and that employment within 24/7 type operations among some members impacts attendance figures, it is important for Association members to reach out to family, friends, colleagues, etc. and invite them to participate if at all possible.  Remember invitees do not necessarily have to be Singaporean: friends of Singapore are always welcome!  Another point of discussion concerned input from the Association itself.  To that end, it was decided that some type of survey should be developed to measure the interest level among the membership.  The survey instrument would be distributed at the next SAN event and subsequently analyzed.   
Durian Party    On August 28th, 2011, SAN Past President Ronald Danker and his family hosted the first annual SAN “Durian Party” at their home in the Palace Monaco community of Las Vegas.  Approximately 25 people attended the event which serves as evidence of the popularity of the simultaneously sweet yet pungent fruit.  Several varieties were on hand and the attendees were able to partake to their heart’s content.  This event has all of the makings of a future regular SAN annual event but only time will tell.    
Photos from Durian Party.   

If you have photos that you would like to contribute for our upcoming new SAN website, please email photos to Chee Swee Lee at sschee@cox.net   
Moon Cake/Lantern Festival On September 10, 2011 SAN President Chee Swee Lee and her husband Bob hosted the annual Moon Cake/Lantern Festival at their home in the Iron Mountain Ranch community of the Northern Las Vegas valley.  A wide assortment of moon cakes and teas was provided by the attendees and a small contingent of youngsters was able to parade outdoors with lanterns as darkness fell.  Lively conversation, football watching, and camaraderie prevailed throughout the evening along with the consumption of the delectable moon cakes and teas. 

The Mooncake/Lantern Festival is one of the four standard SAN annual events and a good turnout serves as evidence as to the popularity of this celebration.  Thanks to all who were able to attend.  

FYI  Based on discussions at the Executive Committee meeting of August 14th, 2011 and the results of the membership survey distributed in August 2011, a re-working of the current SAN Web site will be necessary to more accurately reflect the nature of the organization.  This revised Web site will involve the collaborative efforts of Chee Swee Lee, Ronald Danker, Freda Dana and the esteemed original co-founder of SAN, Ms. Aihui Ong.  Such a re-design and launch can be time consuming and somewhat labor intensive so no date has been set but a blast e-mail will be sent out to the membership when the site is up and running.   
Logo for SAN While on the subject of the re-worked Web-site, anyone with an idea for a logo for the Singapore Association of Nevada (SAN) should submit the prototype to the SAN President at sschee@cox.net for consideration.  Also, the present and contemplated Web sites have a “discussion” feature which can be used for chat room purposes among the membership.  This feature is perfect for setting up informal or last minute outings among Association members which are not part of the four official formal SAN annual events.  Members are encouraged to consider this communication option in addition to other traditional methods. 
Just as a reminder, starting with the next e-Newsletter, free business card advertisements will be included for those members wanting to avail themselves of this service.  Anyone interested should contact SAN President Chee Swee Lee via e-mail at sschee@cox.net.  Be advised that the e-Newsletter will be archived on the new Web site so any telephone numbers, email addresses, names, etc. will be available to anyone viewing the SAN site on the World Wide Web.   

The next regularly scheduled SAN event will be Chinese New Year early in 2012.   
Until then, have a relaxing (and cool) fall and a wonderful holiday season…….    


Chee Swee Lee President Singapore Association of Nevada (SAN)  

e-Newsletter Editor Bob Cedillos