Appreciations

Charmina Marlena, born to Princess Molligode and Walter de Chickera on September 21, 1937, was laid to rest on May 30, 2006.
Her beauty was one of the outstanding things about Aunt Charmina. She was a top model in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with her photographs regularly gracing the newspapers and magazines. Charmina the model was admired for her sense of style and flair for fashion. The family albums are filled with pictures of Charmina in her many glamorous outfits, creations of well-known fashion designers of the ’60s.

Her treasure trove of a wedding album shows Charmina as the epitome of grace, charm and beauty. Unlike the “English Rose” that is “never born to die”, Charmina’s glory was a beautiful moment in time, a moment that is constantly relived by those who loved her – her mother Princess, son Cuda, brother Seneca, and all those who help to keep her memory alive. On her second death anniversary we remember the elegant, wonderful lady who was Charmina, also known as Bubbie and Bubbo Amma.

Besides being a popular model, Charmina was a poet and a writer, contributing regularly to the radio and the magazine Lanka Woman. Her choice of topics ranged from the mundane to the melancholy, with a tinge of mischief written between the lines. She would share her verse and prose with her nephew, the family “wordsmith” Wijith.

Charmina and her brother Seneca had an idyllic, fun-filled childhood, which they shared with cousins and friends in their ancestral home and other family properties. Charmina would wander down memory-lane, recapturing the golden days gone by. It is to Bubbie’s credit that she kept in touch with all the cousins – De Chickera, Molligode and others – living in Sri Lanka and overseas.

She loved company and was an excellent hostess. Knowing her to be a culinary wizard, her guests could always expect something special in the way of a treat.

She was witty, jolly and charming, and loved a good joke. While she was in a sense a traditionalist, often talking with pride about her ancestors, she was essentially a modern mother whose liberal outlook appealed to young people. There were always young people calling to see how their Bubbo Amma was doing. At home she would amuse herself listening to music, gardening or talking to friends on the telephone. She had a long “chat-list” of people whose company she enjoyed.

She loved animals. She was a passionate dog lover and had a number of pets, including cats. She also had a long-lived star tortoise called Torty. Charmina was also a collector. Her home was filled with ornaments and souvenirs she had brought from Lourdes, the Holy Land, Egypt and Europe. She was also talented in the artistic sense. The house was dotted with her macramé creations –owls, pot-holders, lamp-shades. Her most prized possession was her collection of jewellery, which she wore with style and aplomb. Charmina liked to keep in touch with family and friends. She wrote interesting letters and never failed to send cards on birthdays.

We honour Charmina’s memory by remembering a lovely Ceylon Rose with fine, noble qualities. For that is what she was, beautiful and unique – someone to remember forever.

She will always be remembered for her charm and grace