Searching for Joe Pichamuthu

In his attempt to trace 'lost' school mates, Jerry Choo did a Google search for Joe Pichamuthu. To his surprise, he found amongst other references, a tribute to Joe when he retired from the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in 2002 (click here for the tribute) in 2002! Jerry then emailed to NAL for the whereabouts of Joe, and the rest is history as recorded below:

Jerry Choo Teck Yong wrote (05 April 2006, 1159 hours):

Really wonderful to be in touch with you after almost half a century. There, I still remember that you are a cricketer! Thanks to the internet, I just went in to Google and typed your name. As chances would have it, there was this 2002 tribute to you, and the rest is this trail to get to you.

I started to think of a 50th Anniversary reunion last year and started a web site. Since then we have been able to flush out some of our cohorts. We need the numbers to have a real bash. Some of the Form 5B cohorts did ask if anyone knew where you were, and here we are. We've found you!

I am currently in Sydney for a week and will be back 12 April. Will fill you in with some news of ourselves. Will also give the good news to the folks about finding you. In the meantime, Joe, go to our web site www.acsclass57.com and you will be able to 'catch up' with your school mates. We have a Directory, with our class mug shots and email, address and phone contacts of those we have been able to update; an Album, with postings of old photographs; a Forum page; link to Alumni Roundup, a page from the ACS Echo, in which I am involved in publishing. Might take some time to go through the material, and hope you enjoy this.

Sorry for this brief note, as I am using this at an internet cafe. Let me have your phone number when you next email. Incidentally, the Reunion is scheduled for the week before or after Chinese New Year, which falls on 18/19 February 2007. I will send you some earlier correspondence of this as well.

Again, Joe, magical to have found you. Take care and say hello to the family.

Joe Pichamuthu wrote (04 April 2006):

You can't imagine the happiness your email gave me. Thank you for taking so much trouble to contact me.

Your idea of a reunion next year is wonderful. I hope to come with my family if circumstances permit. One of my difficulties is that I'm teaching, so I can't take off in the middle of the semester. Anyway, I'm sure this can be sorted out.

About 10 years ago, at a conference on Asian Airports, I met a young officer working with the Singapore Airport Authority. He gave me the phone numbers of several of our class-mates, which I unfortunately lost (creeping senility, did I hear you say?). He also gave me the sad news about Eng Soon.

Strangely enough, we have been discussing the possibility of visiting Singapore. I was just wondering how on earth I'd be able to meet all of you. The reunion would be a God-given opportunity to do so.

Have you been able to contact all our fellow-criminals of 5B? I wonder if it would be practicable to have our own 5B web site for information exchange.

I can just imagine singing our school song and Auld Lang Syne once more with all of 5B. What are the tentative plans you have made for the reunion?

Please give my affectionate regards to all our class mates when you contact them. Do you think you could send copies of this mail to those you are in touch with?

With my affectionate good wishes

NAL's response (02 April 2006, 1243 hours):

We'll find Joe for you next week! He's left the laboratory, but stays in touch.

Jerry Choo Teck Yong's mail to the National Aerospace Laboratories in late-March 2006:

I was a classmate of Joe Pichamuthu when he was schooling at the Anglo-Chinese School in Singapore. The cohorts of Form 5 are trying to locate him to arrange for a 50th Anniversary Reunion. Do you think you will be able to provide his email? Thanks.