Tears and ire mark Coco farewell

Family members, friends and fans from around the world bade farewell to Hong Kong-American pop diva Ferren "Coco" Lee, who died July 5, aged 48.

A service at Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point yesterday was festooned with Lee's favorite color, purple, with white as well as purple wreaths from friends and fans placed outside a memorial hall.

Her portrait - a shot in 2013 for her album Illuminate in which she smiles angelically in a white dress - sat on a sea of flowers.

A board in Chinese and English above the portrait read: "In loving memory of Coco Lee."

Three pink heart-shaped floral wreaths from her mother and two elder sisters, Nancy Lee and Carol Lee, were placed in front of her coffin. The mother did not appear because of a Chinese custom that elders do not attend the funeral of their children.

Two screens were placed at the front of the hall to display her photos and performances.

Lee's estranged Canadian billionaire husband Bruce Rockowitz and two stepdaughters arrived at 3.50 pm and entered the funeral home through the back door. They did not sit with her two sisters in family seats.

The service was also livestreamed on YouTube.

In her tribute, Nancy Lee thanked guests with a signature line that Lee always used at her concerts: "You would have chosen to go anywhere, but you chose to come here to be with me, thank you."

After the private memorial service, from 4 pm to 6 pm, guests greeted and hugged the two elder sisters, who broke down and cried, "I lost a sister, he caused the death of my sister!"

Macau singer Jenny Tseng said she had known Coco for about 20 years and they had cared for each other. She said Lee was hardworking, a professional and a good daughter, sister and friend.

Tseng said Lee had played a joke on her, as the day she died - July 5 is also her daughter's birthday.

"She shouldn't have played this joke on me, every year in the future, on this day, whether I should celebrate this day as my daughter's birthday, or a memorial of her death."

Mainland singer Han Hong and Taiwanese singer Elva Hsiao Ya-chih also attended the service.

Hsiao said she has been dreaming of being able to sing and dance like Lee, who had encouraged her several times. "I'll keep on dancing, singing and shining for you. You are my superstar, forever a diva. You are my everything. We will meet one day in heaven as angels, Coco, I love you."

Other wreaths were also sent by singers Kulilay Amit, Aaron Kwok Fu-shing and David Tao Zee.

Fans dressed in black waiting at a nearby park since 1pm for the public memorial from 6 pm to 10 pm brought flowers, banners and memorial cards.

Faly from Taiwan, a fan since primary school, flew over to make amends for missing Coco's last Taipei concert in 2019.

A fan from the mainland cried: "She was very kind, I hope she will be happy in heaven and continue to sing for us."

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