Geraldene Lowe-Ismail, pioneer of walking tours in Singapore, dies at 86

Veteran tour guide Geraldene Lowe-Ismail was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018. PHOTO: ST FILE

Sarah Stanley

UPDATED Feb 18, 2025, 11:30 AM

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SINGAPORE – Veteran Singaporean heritage tourist guide Geraldene Lowe-Ismail died on Feb 17 at the age of 86 . 

She had suffered from dementia and other health ailments due to old age, and experienced breathing difficulties on Feb 15, her close contacts told ST. She died peacefully in a nursing home in Perth two days after.

She is survived by two sons – Iskandar Ismail and Mikhail Ismail – and their families, and was buried next to her late husband Ahmad Ismail and daughter Apsara Ismail in Perth on Feb 18 . 

Affectionately dubbed a “walking encyclopedia” by her son Iskandar Ismail, Mrs Lowe-Ismail dedicated around five decades to illuminating the rich tapestry of Singapore’s history and culture for both locals and visitors.

She was born in 1938 to Eurasian parents and spent her early years in Singapore before heading to Australia, where she attended a boarding school in Perth.