Sim Lim Tower ice cream cart hawker, affectionately known as ‘Uncle Boon,’ has passed away at the age of 92. Ng Teak Boon was one of the last few original licensed itinerant hawkers in Singapore, having sold old-school ice cream blocks in the area for over 50 years. Uncle Boon’s presence and his nostalgic ice cream cart have been a beloved fixture, cherished by many generations of Singaporeans.
One of Singapore’s last licensed itinerant hawkers, Ng Teak Boon, has died at the age of 92. Known affectionately as Uncle Boon, he was a well-known sight outside Sim Lim Tower, where he had been selling old-school ice cream blocks from a mobile pushcart for over 50 years. Ng was cremated on Saturday, June 22, without a wake. The news of his passing was first announced by hawker Melvin Chew on the Facebook group Hawkers United – Dabao 2020.
Earlier this year, Ng Teak Boon shared with 8days.sg that due to his advancing age, he was no longer able to sell his signature wafer and bread-wrapped ice cream blocks as he lacked the strength to split the frozen blocks. Instead, he had switched to offering pre-packaged ice cream from a supplier.
As ice cream pushcarts became a dying trade, Ng’s sales gradually dwindled over the years. He earned a few hundred dollars a month selling ice cream and lived alone in a one-room rental flat in Geylang Bahru. During the Circuit Breaker period, when everyone stayed home, his income took a significant hit. In response, netizens rallied to help him sell more ice cream and spruce up his sparsely furnished rental flat.
One Mr. Chetan, a business owner working in Sim Lim Tower, told 8days.sg that he had been patronizing Ng’s ice cream cart since 2007. He shared, “I would always buy the ice cream from Uncle. He was always earlier than me to start [his day for business]. Very nice uncle, very humble.”
