Kochi: The 89-year-old Queenie Hallegua, said to be the last Jewish woman resident of Kochi, passed away here, media reports said.
The remaining Jewish man in Kochi is her kin Keith.
Daughter of a prosperous businessman S S Kodder, she was managing trustee of the Synagogue in Mattancherry.
Wife of Samuel H Hallegua, she was the warden of the Jewish synagogue, Mattancherry, from 2012 to 2018.
She bestowed the management of the synagogue to a trust after her health deteriorated.
Queenie owned a large area of land in Cherthala and promoted many corporate ventures.
Her children Fiona and Dr David are settled in the US. Her children-in-law are Allen and Sissa. Queenie was buried at the Jewish cemetery at Jew Street in Kochi beside her husband’s tomb.
It was her father Koder who introduced electricity distribution in Kochi and launched the first boat service. She was born in Koder House, Fort Kochi.
After her schooling at St Mary’s High School, Fort Kochi, she studied in Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam.
Even as most of Kochi’s Jewish community returned to Israel after the nation was established, she chose to remain in Mattancherry, the reports said.
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