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by Cheryl Lim
IN COURT, he spoke in a booming voice and left a strong impression with his commanding presence.
Together with the late Mr J. B. Jeyaretnam, Mr Nathan Isaac was one of three lawyers assigned as defence lawyers in the ritual-murder trial of Adrian Lim, his wife and his mistress in 1983.
Last Saturday night, the 71-year-old retired lawyer died of a heart attack shortly before 9pm at Changi General Hospital.
He would have been 72 on Jan 24. He had a wife and four sons, aged between 19 and 42, and two grandsons.
Speaking to my paper yesterday, his second-eldest son, lawyer Tito Isaac, said that the death was "unsuspected" although his father had been diagnosed with a heart condition for five years.
The 38-year-old said his father was not seriously ill and had remained active, indulging in hobbies such as golf and hunting in Malaysia.
"He had numerous ailments associated with and common for people his age. But he remained active and we did not expect it," he said.
His father was the man who influenced him to be a lawyer, and was both a mentor and friend, he said.
"He was a great man, a great father. He taught us to be generous, kind and strong when you had to," he said.
Lawyer Amolat Singh described the late Mr Isaac, who was a police officer for over 15 years before making the switch to law, as "confident and authoritative- sounding, and (who) spoke like a Briton".
Businessman Colin Schooling, a family friend, said the senior Mr Isaac was a generous man who always lent a listening ear to those he cared for.
"He showed solid support for my family when my father passed away. He was loyal, sincere and a man of integrity. He always gave me legal advice when I went to him in need."
The funeral service will take place today at 3.30pm at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.
cheryll@sph.com.sg
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