Remembering affable Neil Chanmugam
At first, I admired Neil’s prowess as a cricketer. For I as a Trinitian used to look forward to the annual encounter between our two schools. Every other year, the match was played on the grounds of the School by the sea. The railway lines between the two. Although for S. Thomas’ their big match was the annual fixture with Royal, we at T.C.K. considered S.T.C. as our Sister School. Of course, T.C.K. was founded by the C.M.S. and S.T.C. by the S.P.G.
So, the annual encounters comprised the following: 1) Cricket on Friday and Saturday, 2) Debate on Saturdays after the match, 3) the Worship at the Chapel. This third one enriched us boys, for we saw the richness of each other’s Worship. This certainly helped me to enrich my life as an ordained. I, although a Trinitian, will always cherish these traditions of worship.
One Saturday morning, we were traveling to Mt. Lavinia for that game. The Saturday’s papers had the following headlines: ‘Roles bowls the Thomians out.’ Perusing the details of the paper, that if not for Arasaratanam dropping a vital catch, the Thomians would have been all out on Friday. We boys in the bus thought Arasaratanam who had begun his schooling at S. Thomas’ and then moved to Trinity had done this deliberately! I also remember the following 1) Nimal Maralande walking up the steps of the bus and thanking us for having come to watch the game and 2)1 also remember my classmate Sumanasekera nearly got drowned in the Thomian pool that evening!
Neil I believe began his first eleven span under the dynamic leadership of Michael Tissera. Neil was an off-spinner. He was a great bat and certainly a good fielder. I used to enjoy the elegant batting of Michael Tissera and his slow bowling. That team I believe had the likes of Michael Sproule and Errol Lisk, the wicketkeeper batsman.
After leaving S.T.C, at first Neil played for the Tamil Union. My late father-in-law used to tell me that Neil’s father had died on his lap. Later on Neil moved to the S.S.C. I think this was because of his father-in-law, Col. F.C. de Saram. Neil, my brother-in-law Chandran Thiruchittampalam and Chandran Ponnambalam, and we from Trinity C.T. Perera, Gamini Ranasinghe and I entered the then University of Ceylon. Only I entered Peradeniya for I wanted to do Political Science. However, after attempting to enter the Engineering Faculty, Neil moved to study Accountancy in which profession he excelled well. He retired, I believe, as the Head of Maharajah’s Accounts Department.
It was to Neil I turned to whenever I had a difficult problem as the Dean of our Cathedral as regards to our Church Accounts. I remember once Oosha telling me, ‘Father Sydney, the work that you have entrusted Neil has given him an excuse to gulp more glasses of whiskey!’ Legend has the following to tell me: When Neil was asked to help the Cathedral by the powers that were, Neil had flatly refused stating, — ‘The manner in which my good friend Sydney was treated by the Cathedral makes me decline this invitation.’
At one of the dinners that I was pleased to have with Neil and Oosha, Neil told me ‘Ada Sydney move to Nuwara-Eliya and have a good time there!” On one occasion, a certain preacher had stated, ‘I see that there are a few people here who are in a sense visitors.’ At the end of the Service, the Officiating Clergy used to stay outside the Vestry and greet the people. On that occasion, Neil while shaking hands with the preacherhad said, ‘Father, I am one of those!’ Neil was a person who had an excellent sense of humour, so much so that he could laugh at himself!
After having retired from cricket, Neil took to golf. On Sundays when I used to walk from Kithu Sevana to the Cathedral I used to see Neil going for his golf. After the Service at the Fellowship Time, I used to tell Oosha that when I was coming to Church, Neil was going for his golf. Oosha jokingly used to tell me ‘Father Sydney, please don’t joke about that with Neil!’
However, Neil had his own spirituality. For he and Oosha were always there at the Good Friday Service. The family was certainly there on all Festival Days and at the annual Carol Service. I was in a sense their Chaplain! It was I who did the ring ceremony when Anuk got engaged to Zal. I also did their wedding. It was I whom Neil turned to and invited me to have dinner with the family to say a special prayer for Anuk before she left for the UK for surgery. Neils second daughter works in New York. On one occasion, the two of us had a debate on gambling. She told me, ‘Father Sydney, I am only trying to help people so that they do not waste their money!’ and went on to say, ‘If the likes of you do your work, people will not be gambling!’
Devin, their only son, is the one that I turned to after a visit to Jaffna. As the Chairperson of the Jaffna Support Group, I was entrusted the task of getting a new computer for Jaffna. That computer was to be housed at the Chundukuli Girls’ School. And that was to help the girls of Chundukuli and the boys of St. John’s and of course the others that were keen to learn to operate a computer. Neil’s mother I have known from a distance. However, I was aware that she was the sister of my friend from Kandy, George Mant. Neil’s sister, Dawn, is also a good friend of mine. It was I, with a colleague from St. Michaels, who blessed the house of Dawns son.
Neils brother, Dennis, who is now in the USA is also a family friend of ours. About 25 years ago, when I lost my wife and visited my daughter in Washington DC, Dennis used to visit us and take us to various places. One such occasion was when we passed the Blue Hill Mountains of Country Roads fame. While driving back to Washington, I told Dennis that ‘Oosha was the jewel in the crown of our Cathedral in Colombo!’
When Neil was diagnosed with cancer, he invited me to dinner and wanted me to say a special prayer. From time to time, I used to call him. However, on certain occasions, Oosha used to tell me that Neil was too tired after his treatment.
I was in hospital when Neil died, in April of this year. However, I am glad that my daughter and her husband had called on Oosha and the family to pay their respects. In the midst of death, Oosha had gently spoken to my daughter and offered Neil’s bed, so that I could have it on my return from the hospital.
To Oosha and the family, very specially the son now in Hong Kong whose child Neil was not able to see, and all kith and kin in this global village of ours, very specially his brother Dennis in the USA. Please remember that you can always count on me as Neil did.
May the soul of Neil rest in peace and rise in glory. Amen.
Sydney Knight