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from Appendices
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 October 2015
Businessman and community leader Baey Lian Peck was playing a game of badminton at his classmate's Grange Road home 54 years ago when he caught sight of his friend's sister and fell instantly in love.
The 21-year-old was so smitten with the 15-year-old student that he would drive her to school every day to make sure other admirers had no chance of winning her heart.
“It was love at first sight on my part. She's such a beautiful and caring girl, and she had many admirers. I was naturally worried,” he told The Sunday Times.
Fifty years, four children and 13 granchildren later, they are still together.
Last night, Dr Baey and his wife, Daisy, celebrated 50 years of marriage with 600 guests, including President S R Nathan and Mrs Nathan, with a lavish dinner party at the Ritz-Carlton.
The couple founded American International Industries Group, the oilfield equipment company now run by their son, Henry, though Dr Baey still serves as chairman.
He has also sat on several government boards, served 19 years as president of the Singapore's Anti-Narcotics Association and was one of the founders of the NTUC FairPrice supermarket chain.
It's a far cry from the days when Mrs Baey's younger brother would chaperone the couple to Koek Road to eat porridge and ice kachang.
He popped the question — on a bench in a reservoir park one evening — two years into their courtship.
The couple married on May 27 in 1956 and threw a wedding dinner for about 300 guests in a Chinese restaurant in Middle Road.
Last night's dinner was a more multinational affair, attended by the couple's four children, a handful of government ministers and relatives, friends and business associates from Brunei, India, Malaysia, Portugal, Sri Lanka and the United States.
The night began with a video slideshow to the tune of Elvis Presley's Hawaiian Wedding Song, showing footage of their wedding in 1956.
Guests, decked out in tuxedos and flashy gowns, were full of admiration.
Mr Ricky Sim, chief operating officer of Suntec Investment Group, said: “They're one big happy family”.
“It's excellent that they've managed to keep it going for 50 years”.
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