Sir George Edward Noel Oehlers (former Bidadari Cemetery)

George Edward Noel Oehlers / George E N Oehlers / Geno Oehlers (1 April 1908- 27 October 1968) was educated at St. Andrew's School and Raffles Institution, George Edward Noel Oehlers was called to the Bar (Gray's Inn) in 1931 and to the Singapore Bar in March 1932. He practiced as advocate and solicitor in Singapore until he was appointed Speaker designate of Singapore Legislative Assembly in December 1954. He was appointed First Speaker of the Singapore Legislative Assembly in 1 June 1960.

Sir George Edward Noel Oehlers was knighted in 1958 making him the first Eurasian in Singapore to be knighted. Other positions he held throughout his career included being the President of the Industrial Arbitration Court (1965) and Chairman of the Public Utilities Board, Singapore. 

Sir George Edward Noel Oehlers

Sir George Edward Noel Oehlers passed away due  at his residence in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur at the age of 60 on 27 October 1968 in Kuala Lumpur age 60 and was cremated on 28 October 1968 at Mount Vernon. 

Family

Wife: Lady Daphne Oehlers

Lady Daphne Oehlers, wife of Sir George Oehlers passed away at the age of 41 on 15 April 1960 at the General Hospital after a long illness. She was buried at Bidadari after a ceremony by the Archdeacon. the Ven. D.D. Chelliah. The cortege left from their house in Mount Pleasant Drive. She was active social worker and held various offices, including that of the Deputy Director of the Singapore Red Cross. She is survived by her husband and 5 children, Jillian, Lynette, Harry, John and Catherine. 

Lady Daphne Oehlers

Wife: Mrs. Nan Tessensohn / Lady Nan Oehlers

In a simple church ceremony on 9 July 1965, Sir George Oehlers ( a father of 5) and Mrs. Nan Tessensohn (grandmother ) were married, uniting 2 well-known Eurasian families in Singapore. Standing the pews of the St. Paul's Church in Upper Serangoon (the church that was founded by Sir George's father) were Sir George's 5 children and the bride's 3 sons and a daughter.  Both were 57 when they remarried.  Lady Nan Oehlers' former husband, Dr. C.L. Tessensohn died in motor accident in Singapore in September 1962. 

Lady Nan Oehlers

Parents: George Rae Oehlers and Francis Maude nee Clarke

George Rae Oehlers and Francis Maude nee Clarke were married at St. Andrew's Cathedral in 1902. From that union they had 12 children (6 boys and 6 girls). He runs a construction company that manufactures pre-cast concrete buildings. George Rae Oehlers is the fourth son of the late Mr. and Mrs. H. Oehlers of Singapore. Francis Maude Clarke is the second daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Francis Clarke of Singapore. 

Mr. George Rae Oehlers passed away at the age of 77 on 19 April 1957 after a long illness. He is survived by his widow, 4 daughters and 3 sons. 

Brother: Dr. Farleigh A.C. Oehlers

When Singapore fell to the Japanese,  Farleigh A.C. Oehlers  was a third-year dental student and he and and his family were among the 2,000 or more so-called "settlers", mostly Eurasian Catholics, interned in a jungle camp near Bahau in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. He was the camp dentist. Dr. Oehlers went on to be the Professor of Oral Surgery at the then University of Singapore.  

In an article of his accounts, he shared that his brother, Geno (Sir George Oehlers)  and his eldest brother, Deric (Dr. Deric Oehlers) was taken in by the Kemptai (Japanese Secret Police) at the Young Men Christian Association. 

Daughter: Jillian Geno Oehlers / Mrs. Jillian Scully 

A student of Raffles Girls School, and an honours graduate from University of Singapore, she became the school headmistress of Hwi Yoh Secondary. She married Henry Victor Scully and from their union, they had 2 sons, Gerrard Mark Scully and Jonathan Paul Scully. The well reported tragedy happen on 31 July 1981, when the Scullys (39 and 36) and their two sons, Gerrad (12 years old) and Jonathan (5 years old) were found dead in a gas-filled room in their rented Seletar Hills home (in another paper it was mentioned to be at a semi-detached house in Jalan Redop, off Jalan Kayu. 4 empty gas cylinders, 4 rosaries and the suicide note were found. Another shocking revelation that was revealed that Mrs. Jillian Scully was pregnant. 

The case was classified as murder and suicide and Investigations by the CID's Commercial Crimes Division and Special Investigation have linked Henry Victor Scully to a series of cheating cases involving around $1.5 million. 

Jillian Geno Oehlers / Mrs. Jillian Scully and family

Family niche of the Scully's
Photo and story lead courtesy of LoSongs

[research on-going] 

Variant Names

George Edward Noel Oehlers  refers to also George E N Oehlers / Geno Oehlers 

Location of tomb 

The memorial stone of Sir George Edward Noel Oehlers is at Bidadari Heritage Park. 

Sir George Edward Noel Oehlers, Order of the British Empire 

Sir George Edward Noel Oehlers and Lady Dapne Eleanor Oehlers at Choa Chu Kang Block A
(photo courtesy of LoSongs)

George Rae Oehlers and Frances Maude Oehlers at Choa Chu Kang Block A
(photo courtesy of LoSongs)

References

Death of Lady Daphne. (1960, April 17). The Straits Times, page 5

Recollections of Bahau. A time of deprivation and fear. (1985, February 13). The Straits Times, page 1
Sudden death of Sir George Oehlers in KL. (1968, October 28). Eastern Sun, page 1 

Sir George dies. (1968, October 28). The Straits Times, page 1
MTUC tribute to the late Sir George Oehlers. (1968, December 4). Straits Budget, page 20 

Family Found dead in gas-filled room. (1981, August 1). The Straits Times, page 11 

Scully deaths: Suicide and Murder, says coroner. (1983, January 22). The Straits Times, page 8