John Ede

John Anthony Moore Ede (1913 – 23 January 2003) was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore, the chairman of the Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association, the General Manager of Cathay Organisation, the secretary of the Singapore Progressive Party and a pioneer of the orchid trade on the island.

Early life Ede was born in England in 1913. He lived in India for eleven years before coming to Singapore in 1946.

Career In 1947, he became a manager at the Cathay Organisation. In December, he became the company's general manager. From 1952 to 1953, he served as the secretary of the Singapore Progressive Party. In 1955, he was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore representing Tanglin. In 1959, he and 102 other members of the Liberal Socialist Party, which was formed following the merger of the Progressive Party with the Democratic Party in 1956, resigned from the party in protest of the party's decision to reverse its original decision align with the Singapore People's Alliance and the UMNO-MCA in the upcoming general election. He joined the Singapore People's Alliance on 28 May.

Ede was also a professor of English literature, From 1951 to 1959, he served as the chairman of the Singapore Musical Society. From 1954 to 1960, he served as a council member of the Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association. The couple wrote several books in the 1980s, such as Living With Orchids and Living With Plants. In 1989, he was awarded the Public Service Star by then-President of Singapore Wee Kim Wee for his contributions to the Orchid trade in Singapore.

Ede died on 23 January 2003. Following his death, Amy sold the gardens.