She joined the British Police Division in Reigate, Surrey at the outbreak of World War II,[1] becoming the first woman constable in the history of that county.

[4] Leaving behind her flying days, Della took an office job as a manager for Skyways Aircraft Corporation in Cyprus in 1953.

She stopped by the Princess Elizabeth Walk near the Esplanade, and was captured by the beautiful creations on display by Singaporean artists Cheong Soo Pieng, Lee Man Fong, Chen Wen Hsi and Thomas Yeo for the first time.

When it was time to leave for Jesselton she resolved to return to the island country to make a difference for Singapore artists, just as she boarded the Straits Steamship The Raja Brooke.

[5] Jesselton was a logging town, with a thriving community of white expatriate loggers and local Iban and Kenyah tribespeople interacting.

Della saw the opportunity to sell Iban and Kenyah crafts and jewellery by exporting these traditional wares to Singapore.

She studied the local art market, and found that there was only the Donald Moore Gallery in Liat Towers which sold artifacts at that time.

[5] Though in her grave condition, she had not forgotten her conviction for Singaporean artists and the will to open gallery to promote Singapore art.

[3] In July 1968 Della met Constance Meyer, an expatriate wife living in Singapore, and an avid collector of antiques and Balinese art.

[6] This gallery was set up with help from the then-Minister for Culture Jek Yuen Thong, Minister for Finance Goh Keng Swee, the Chairman of National Theatre Trust Dr. Goh Poh Seng, the High Commissioner of Malaysia Dr. Lien Ying Chow and the US Ambassador to Singapore, Mr. Francis J.

Running the business on her own, money became a constant problem for Della and often had to take on other freelance jobs like organizing film documentary sessions for multinational corporations, and designing and making 33 pairs of uniforms for Saber Air Private Limited within 3 weeks, just to keep it going and to support local artists.

[2] Being new to the business, she also faced criticisms from other people – for presenting too many pictures at a show, for poor display and lighting, and for not providing proper catalogues.

In January 1979, she clinched a sponsorship from the Singapore Airlines to put up a series of art exhibitions featuring 150 paintings by 8 Singaporean artists – Ang Ah Tee, Nai Swee Leng, Ong Kim Seng, Tang Juey Lee, Tay Bak Koi, Wan Soon Kam, and sibling artists Henry and Karen Hoisington – in the Middle Eastern cities of Bahrain, Dubai and Kuwait.

[9] In spite of the fact that she had organized the show single-handedly, the touring exhibition received enormous success especially in the city of Dubai.

Further to that the Society had also agreed to cultural exchange exhibitions with artists from both lands, in Dubai and at her Gallery in Singapore respectively in the following year.

During the Festival Della showcased an exhibition of orchid paintings by Tang Juey Lee at the Hilton Hotel Music Room.

At the same time, an exhibition of Choy Moo Kheong's paintings was advised to, and curated at the rival Low Pine Gallery in Ming Court Hotel, also as part of the Festival programme.

[14] Della's hands-on approach in running her art gallery and her devotion to the artists she represents, continued to be her formula for success.

Watercolourist Ong Kim Seng remembered in his first exposure at a group artshow that Della organized, he was disappointed that he had not been able to sell a single piece of art.

Mrs Ros Lovell, owner of lifestyle shop Cho Lon in Holland village and Della's neighbour remembered that she once spent several days chained to a tree, in order to protest and save it from being cut down.

The fourth President of the Rotary Club Orchard Vijay Krishnan believed that recognizing a wide spectrum of artistic expression would be ideal in honouring Della's spirit and her open-ness to supporting all forms of Singaporean art in her lifetime.

These works of art were by artist-friends like Ong Kim Seng, Tay Bak Koi, Nai Swee Leng, Prabhakara Jimmy Quek and Ang Ah Tee, and bought with Della's own pocket as her support for these artists in their struggling years.

At the same time, the Foundation had intentions to give out art scholarships for promising young artists in Singapore in the future.