07/10/2026
At 71, Mr Desmond is still running his own company in a niche field: a rubbish chute hopper manufacturing company. He builds them better and longer-lasting than anyone else, and manages the whole process end to end.
His two daughters don't want to take over. He's been thinking about whether to sell the business or simply close it. The hardest part, he says, is knowing that nobody else will care about it the way he does.
On this day, though, he was back at Bedok Jetty for the first time in over a decade. A friend told him a particular species of fish had been spotted here last week, so he came down to look. His method: throw bread into the water, watch the surface for movement, then cast.
Most weekends he takes the ferry to St John's Island — he goes so often they give him discounted tickets. He camps there, or at Pulau Hantu, with a WhatsApp group that coordinates trips together.
"Fishing is not about the fish you catch," he says. "If you think that way, you'll always be frustrated. It's about enjoying nature. Passing time."
With his spare time Mr Desmond also enjoys volunteering. He is an active member of the Tsao Foundation, where he coordinates events for other seniors to get together and partake in activities together.
This story is part of our Take on Today series, celebrating the unstoppable, vibrant seniors of Singapore and the freedom to live every single day on your own terms.
