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Aaron Ngui

Loretta (left) and Jessie at the grave of their granduncle, Arshak Sarkies, founder of the famed E&O Hotel at the Western Road cemetery. AARON NGUI / theSun

GEORGE TOWN (Nov 17, 2011): It was a poignant moment for sisters Loretta Regina and Jessie Ripsie Sarkies when they visited the grave of their granduncle, Arshak Sarkies, founder of the famed E&O Hotel at the Western Road cemetery today.

After spending a few minutes praying, the sisters lit candles and placed flowers on his grave before sharing a moment of silence.

Singaporeans Loretta and Jessie, 70 and 6,4 respectively, are the last descendants of the famed Sarkies brothers, who were the four Armenian businessmen who established numerous hotels in Asia during the late 1880s.

The iconic hotels include the Crag Hotel on Penang Hill and the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.

However, after Arshak’s death in 1931, the Sarkies lost their hotel empire following a bankruptcy case filed against the Raffles.

At a press conference at the E&O Hotel today, Jessie said this was the second time she had stayed in the hotel.

She stayed at the hotel for the first time last year, when her husband Patrick Royston Theseira, 60, brought her to Penang for her birthday.

Jessie also remembered her late grandfather, Aratoon Martin, who died after jumping into shark-infested waters off the coast of Riau, Indonesia, upon losing almost all of his possessions in bad business deals.

“My father (James Aratoon Martin) was a sad, bitter man because he knew how rich the family used to be,” she said quietly but quickly cheered up when she shared James’ love for cars and how that love has been passed on to them.

“Now, whenever I hear a car’s engine I can know which part the sound comes from as well as knowing what model it is just by looking at it,” she said.

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Posted by admin on November 18, 2011 under Penang Story.