Annette Jayasuriya passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 28, at the age of 72. She had been suffering diabetes for the last 28 years of her life.
Annette was born and bred in Moratuwa and educated at the Convent of Our Lady of Victories, Moratuwa.
Because she had a natural flair for teaching, she decided to follow a pre-school weekend course at the Colombo campus.
She opened her own school, at Fernando Place, Moratuwa, in 1973. The response was so great that an additional teacher had to be employed. On Sundays, she taught at the Daham Pasala attached to St. Sebastian's Church, Moratuwa.
Annette’s pre-school had to be closed after 15 years because we had to move to Negombo in 1988. But she continued to teach at Daham Pasal schools – those attached to Bosco, in Ethukale, and St. Jude's Church, in Daluwakotuwa.
In July 2006, ill-health forced her to give up her teaching work.
On August 12, 2006, a farewell function was held for Annette at St. Jude's Church. She was presented with a bouquet, a cash present and an album containing a pictorial record of her involvement as a Daham Pasal teacher. The entire farewell function was videoed. Speaking on the occasion, Rev. Fr. Prasad Ponnamperuma said: “One quality I have observed in her is her motherliness. She has been a mother to us all.”
Annette also received the Dharma Pradeepa award at a ceremony at Archbishop’s House, Colombo, in recognition of her services to education.
“But where thou art, we too shall reach
And turn dumb grief to lasting speech,
And we shall know the reason why
To sleep in Christ is not to die.”
May her soul rest in peace.
Joe Jayasuriya |
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