Mattancherry: Queenie Hallegua (89), the last Jewish woman resident of Kochi, passed away on Sunday. The only remaining Jewish man in the city is her relative Keith. Queenie was the wife of Samuel H Hallegua and the daughter of S S Koder, who was a leading businessman in Kochi.
She served as the warden of the Jewish synagogue in Mattancherry from 2012 to 2018 and was also its managing trustee. Due to ill health, she later handed over the synagogue's management to a trust.
Once the largest landowner in Cherthala taluk of Kerala, Queenie also excelled in various business ventures. She is survived by her children Fiona and Dr David, both of whom are settled in the US and were by her side at the time of her death. 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.
A rich legacy
It was Queenie's father, S S Koder who introduced electricity distribution in Kochi and also launched the first boat service. Queenie was born in Koder House, Fort Kochi. She studied at St Mary’s High School, Fort Kochi and Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam. After marrying Samuel Hallegua, she moved to Jew Town in Mattancherry and resided in a house on Jew Street until her passing.
Despite her children's requests to relocate abroad, Queenie declined, expressing her love for living in Kochi. She had visited Israel, where most of Kochi's Jewish community settled after the nation was established, but she chose to remain in Mattancherry.
