Appreciations
View(s):Rev. Brian Jayawardhana
‘Giving honour to him where honour is due’
With a grieving heart I bemoan the irreparable loss of Fr. Brian, a kinsman from my parents’ side. He knew his health was deteriorating but managed his illness bravely until the last. I recall an instance when I addressed him as Rev. Fr. Brian. He rebuked me and said, “Lenny Aiyah, to you I’m simply Brian”. I pointed out to him that William Shakespeare had stated, ‘Honour to whom honour is due’.
His father the late Sam P. Jayawardhana, a southerner, was head master at St. Servatious College, Matara. His mother was Nita Perera, sister of Mudaliyar Maurice Perera, a well -known figure of Siyane Korale in Gampaha and aunt of former Army Commander late Gen. Denis Perera. His only younger sibling Everard Linus predeceased him some years ago. His paternal uncles and aunts were Willow, Eddy, Neddy, Berty, Japa and Lily, Letty and Lena.
Fr. Brian’s grandfather (a direct descendant of Don Bastian Jayawardhana who escorted King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe to Mauritius), was the Basnayake Nilame of the Sri Vishnu Devale, Dondra in the Ruhunu Magampura area. His grandmother Sophie, a devout Buddhist, was an ayurvedic doctor and skilled eye specialist in her own right.
Having commenced his schooling at the Convent of Mary Immaculate, Matara, Fr. Brian later joined St. Servatious and finally ended up at St. Peter’s when the family moved to Colombo. When Fr. Brian was ordained as a priest a couple of decades ago, the ceremony took place in Rome and although I made arrangements to attend the occasion whilst residing in Britain, I regret being unable to attend due to unavoidable circumstances.
Having returned to Sri Lanka he faithfully served at the Holy Cross Church, Kalutara. He then left for Canada to pursue higher studies in philosophy, theology and educational psychology and obtained his master’s degrees in all three areas. He also specialised in the study of people with developmental disability and was dedicated to the down trodden indigenous Americans and the under privileged as he cared and showed awareness for their well-being in general.
When I met up with Fr. Brian again it was in Ottawa when I was on a brief sojourn and it was a happy reunion with some of his kith and kin domiciled in Canada. Subsequent meetings took place in Sri Lanka when he was on vacation. He was happiest when engaged in lengthy conversations with me, in particular about his childhood days, school holidays spent in Galle and generally reminiscing the past. One day he asked me whether I could accompany him to visit Dondra and trace his origins, especially the inscriptions (sel lipi) of his grandfather, custodian of the Devale, engraved in the Vishnu shrine room. Sadly, due to his tight schedule of leave, he was unable to accomplish this task.
As an avid reader and writer of the literary world, he had a penchant and natural flair for composing poetry. In his anthology of poems what caught my eye is one which he wrote with a patriotic feeling for his country of birth, thus: ‘Ceylon, my home, my fondly cherished country, pray soothe a soul now weaned of wander lust. Oh! Let me be enwrapped in your warm bosom, on your brown soil may I be turned to dust’.
We may console ourselves in knowing and believing though death leaves a wound no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can seal.
In summing up, I would like for those who knew Fr. Brian to remember him as in the words of Rudyard Kipling: ‘Think of me when thou art happy, keep for me a waken spot. In the depths of thine affection, plant a sweet forget-me-not.
May the turf lie gently over him.
Lionel Goonetilleke
EDGAR GUNATUNGA
Why I call him ‘the one and only’
Eulogy delivered at the Memorial service
Our friendship with Edgar covers almost 50 years. When I refer to ‘our’, it includes the so-called “Passiona Boys” as termed by Edgar when we first got to know this gentleman at the Colombo Rowing Club and thereafter with our respective spouses, after he was fortunate enough to link up with Pam, the charming lady, who subsequently became his wife. In fact, we knew Pam before we got to know Edgar and in many of the enjoyable gatherings over the years, we would jokingly remind Edgar that Pam got clearance from the “Passiona Boys” before she said “Yes” to his proposal of marriage. He never openly admitted it, but he knew and we knew that Pam was the “Wind beneath his wings.”
The term “Passiona Boys” was coined by Edgar since, in those early days at the Colombo Rowing Club our priority would be rowing on the water while Edgar’s would be in the clubhouse and the bar. Subsequently, we were no longer “Passiona Boys” and formed a happy band of friends with the common thread being the Colombo Rowing Club. As we grew older, the friendship grew even stronger and our respective children also became great friends, which continues to this day.
Having given the background to our cherished friendship with the Gunatungas’, let me try and share with you why I consider Edgar as a “One and Only”.
Edgar’s great landmark in the professional field was as a banker and he strode the banking sector like a colossus for many decades culminating in the felicitation at his 50th Anniversary as a Professional banker some years back. Edgar took pride in calling himself ‘a Sedawatte Boy’ ‘ who went to St Benedict’s. It is therefore fitting that although he grew up in a Buddhist household that the Memorial Service for this illustrious son of St. Benedict’s was held in the Catholic Church that his dear wife Pam regularly worships in.
The success of Edgar as a professional banker could be judged by the fact that he rose from the ranks, went over to England, came back to Sri Lanka and reached the pinnacle of success as a Banker by leading two prestigious banks, the Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC and subsequently Sampath Bank PLC. Whilst at Sampath Bank, he played a lead role together with Anil Amarasuriya and a few others in restructuring the Union Bank by also inviting Ajitha de Zoysa
In my long association with Edgar as a true friend, I had many occasions to interact with him as a banker as well. To me, he was probably one of the first bankers that I found where you need not have to prove that you do not need the money before you get the money. This would be borne out by many in the corporate world, who owe their success to Edgar’s acumen in judging their business potential not by the collateral they could offer, but the validity of their business model and the competence of the management team. Many were the times that Edgar used to tell me collateral should not be the critical part of taking a lending decision, but the business model and the strength of the management. I believe, very few things, probably barring his family, orchids together with gardening, gave him greater joy than to see clients that he nurtured as ‘start-ups’ progress over the years. Of course, there are now quite a few Bankers who have followed Edgar’s example, which is an encouraging factor.
Having retired from banking, there was no way in which Edgar could move on to total retirement. He was too valuable, and that is why, even at the time of his sudden demise, he was Chairman of quite a few leading corporates including Tokyo Cement, Kahawatte Plantations and Ceylon Tea Marketing. Therefore we, in the corporate world, both young and old, will surely miss his wise counsel.
An impeccable quality that I found in Edgar was his total sense of integrity and the strength of his convictions to stand by his principles and speak out in any forum. He did this with absolutely no malice, which was indeed a unique quality in this truly outstanding gentleman. In other words, in Edgar, you knew exactly what you got. At the same time, he was big enough to accept different points of view, which readily endeared him to a wide circle of business associates and more particularly, friends such as us.
Death is inevitable. In the case of Edgar however, he was so full of life that I personally find it difficult to comprehend that he is no more even though he exceeded the Biblical span of three score years and ten by an additional dozen. It was only on October 15 that we gathered at his home to celebrate his 82nd birthday. We enjoyed the usual good-natured banter coupled with Edgar’s lovable boisterousness, which generally took place at all our gatherings. His peaceful passing away in his sleep is confirmation of the inherent goodness in this great man. As I mentioned to many of my friends as we paid our respects to Edgar on November 20, he looked “A Million Dollars” as he lay peacefully prior to the last rites that were performed that very evening. With his tall slim physique, smartly dressed in a suit that fitted him perfectly and his trademark long hair neatly combed, he looked as vibrant as he did in life. There was no formal notice of his passing away, but purely through word of mouth and the modern language of SMSs in that 12 hour period before his cremation that evening, the amazing number of people who gathered at his home as well as in the cemetery was a true testimony of the affection and respect that so many held for Edgar. — The “One and Only”. I am sure that a constant stream of visitors who did not get the news on that day continued calling on Pam and the family to share their grief on his passing away.
In Edgar we had an outstanding multifaceted personality, who lived life to its fullest in every sense of the word and leaves us with many fond memories that will last a lifetime.
May God give the family the strength to bear the grief of his passing away and instead cherish the memories. May Edgar’s soul rest in peace and rise in glory.
“CPRP of the Passiona Boys”
Sathiwel Sockalingam
He took up life’s challenges till the end
It was with sadness that I heard of the passing away of my brother-in-law, Sathiwel Sockalingam on October 5. A Chartered Accountant, he was formerly Director, Technical Division of ICASL, Sri Lanka and formerly Chartered Accountant in Zambia. He was the beloved husband of Balambikai Kanapathipillai and cherished son of the late Karuppiah Thevar and Sornam.
Till he breathed his last, he was single-minded, active and keenly involved intellectually and physically in matters that interested him. He continued to be involved with the Institute of Chartered Accountants, his professional alma mater and also actively involved with Toastmasters Club, on whose behalf he attended an inauguration ceremony of the incoming committee, two days before he passed away. He was also busy with whatever hobby he took up, the latest of which was learning Tamil literature and grammar, which he mastered with great skill in a short time.
Sockalingam was also involved in many charitable works – closest to his heart was the Good Hope Education Fund he helped to set up for the education of underprivileged youth from the up-country areas. He will be sorely missed by the myriad of people he came in contact with in his personal and professional life.
He was born in Nuwara Eliya, to a family involved in business in the region. He had six brothers who tragically predeceased him. Having completed his primary and secondary studies in Nuwara Eliya, he continued his higher studies at Jaffna College where he enjoyed the intellectual culture of this school. In his long and dynamic career as an Accountant, he was articled at Lawrie Muthukrishna, Chartered Accountants in Colombo, and also worked at James Findlays and Walker and Sons.
In 1978, Sockalingam and his wife, Balambika Kanapathipillal, moved to Zambia in Africa, where he took up the post of financial advisor, in a mining company in Kitwe Zambia. On their return from Zambia, 20 years later, Sockalingam worked as Technical Director at the Institute of Chartered Accountants. As someone involved in finances, integrity and honesty, were the strong principles which governed his entire professional life.
It was my privilege to visit them in Zambia, where I was able to enjoy his graciousness as a host. As a wildlife enthusiast, I was keen to go on safari and he organised my first wonderful African safari.
He and my sister accompanied me on this trip and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.. During the safari to Luangwa National Park, I remember one evening, the trackers told us a herd of elephants came regularly in the evenings to a village close by, which consisted of a huddle of simple African huts. Sockalingam, ever the enthusiast, immediately leaped into the car, and drove us through the African bush, to this place on the outskirts of the National Park. Thankfully, the elephants, did not come that day but we saw the considerable damage they had done to some of the huts. By the time he drove us back, it was nightfall, and I remember coming through the thick African jungle, seeing eyes glinting of heaven knows what animals.
One of the things he loved doing was driving the car. In Africa he would drive on the long dusty roads, through seemingly endless, savanna landscapes with the sun beating down. On his return to Sri Lanka, he continued this love, by driving the length and breadth of Sri Lanka. As wildlife enthusiasts, he would accompany us on our frequent trips to the Yala National Park, staying with us in the very basic Wildlife Department bungalow.
It was his driving skill which stood him in good stead years later when we were posted in Nuwara Eliya. I was pregnant with my second son and he and his wife Bala came to spend the day with us playing with my elder son. They set off at 6 p.m., driving back to Colombo. Just as they reached Colombo at around 11 p.m., my second son decided it was time to come out, and I had to be rushed to Nuwara Eliya hospital.Sockalingam just turned the car and drove right back with the rest of the family, arriving before the baby was born.
That was the sort of man he was, ever helpful, ever positive, always active and willing to take up a challenge.
May he rest in peace.
VaIli Kanapathipillai – de Vries
Prof. George E. Kodituwakku
Dearly loved teacher of Veterinary Medicine
Of the top quality veterinary surgeons produced by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Peradeniya, Professor G.E. Kodituwakku was a pure professional wrote Dr. K Balachandran in “Peradeniya: Memories of a University” (1997).
George E. Kodituwakku, a past pupil of Richmond College, Galle (1927-1941)was admitted to the Medical Faculty of the University of 
Ceylon,Colombo in 1947 as one of the two students in the first batch of veterinary undergraduates in Sri Lanka. He graduated with First Class Honours in 1953, and was employed soon after as a Veterinary Surgeon in the government Veterinary Hospital in Peradeniya from 1953 to 1955.During those two years he was a visiting Lecturer in Veterinary Surgery in the newly established Veterinary School at Peradeniya where he also started his research work.
He was appointed to the post of Lecturer (present designation of Senior Lecturer Grade II) in November 1955, to teach Veterinary Surgery, Obstetrics and Anesthesia. He proceeded to UK for higher studies in October 1957 and was conferred the PhD in December 1959 from the University of London. He was also conferred the Doctor in Tropical Veterinary Medicine (DTVM) from University of Edinburgh in July 1960. He is independently responsible for designing the first detailed syllabi in Surgery, Orthopedics, Anesthesia, and Ophthalmology way back in 1967.
Prof. Kodituwakku was the President of the Ceylon Veterinary Association (now Sri Lanka Veterinary Association) in 1965 and a member of the Veterinary Council of Ceylon. He was a member of the Editorial Committee of the Ceylon Veterinary Journal from 1965. The very first volume of the Journal in 1953 has one of his publications “Pulmonary Embolism causing sudden death of cow, secondary to thrombo-embolism and chronic phlebitis of posterior vena cava”, a pioneering piece of research at the time. A few years later, he undertook a position of a Postdoctoral Research Fellow on a Fulbright-Hays fellowship and proceeded to Washington State University in USA in July 1967 until September 1968. He worked with the famous Dr. E.S.E. Hafesz (author of Reproduction in Farm Animals) who recommended Prof. Kodituwakku as “anoutstanding Ambassador for Ceylon” and had further commented that the University of Ceylon should be very proud to have him on its faculty.
In 1969 he was promoted to the Chair as Professor of Veterinary Clinical Studies and the Head of Department of Veterinary Science on July 12, 1973. On June 30, 1974 he was appointed as the Chairman of the School of Veterinary Science of the Faculty of Medical, Dental & Veterinary Sciences (MDVS). Prof. Kodituwakku also functioned as the Acting Dean of the Faculty of MDVS in 1975, and as the President of the then Peradeniya Campus of the University of Ceylon for a short period in 1975.
As students we were rather reluctant to talk with him due to his polished British-accent and his somewhat European appearance. With time, we grew to adore him as a teacher in the clinical years. We were amused at the way he used to hum a tune while performing intricate surgeries that were assisted by his loyal, skilled though poorly educated Raja, the labourer assigned to the division of Surgery. Prof never seemed to lose his temper, or he never declared it. Prof, his wife, Wimala and their three beautiful daughters, Yasmin, Devika and Janaki were very close to all staff members of the Department, both academic and non-academic.
Prof. Kodi, as he was popularly known, always opened the dance floor at the many grand “Vet Nite” dances held at the Ballroom of the Queens Hotel. We remember how we, as students eagerly waited to witness the new dance steps he would perform elegantly with his loving wife, which was a highlight of the night. We vividly remember his opening dance at the very last Vet Nite held in the late 70’s (1977), this time with his daughter Yasmin. One of the highlights for the male students of course was to share a rare bottle of whisky with Prof and the other male teachers at the Dance.
Prof. Kodituwakku was the first Head of Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies of the newly established Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Animal Science in 1980, a post he held until 1983.
Prof. Kodituwakku was instrumental in acquiring the Faculty Farm, the Mawela Farm, as it was called then. He entrusted us, as third year students, to start clearing the land to establish the first cattle shed.
Following his retirement from University service in 1989, he was awarded Professor Emeritus on December 21, 1993.Professor Kodituwakku was a surgeon par excellence. His surgeries were works of art. Even after retirement he was the most sought after practitioner in Colombo.
On May 3, 2002 the SLVA felicitated Prof GEK at a grand ceremony held at Hotel Tourmaline. In recognition of his many contributions to the upliftment of pet animal practice in Sri Lanka, the auditorium of the new Veterinary Teaching Hospital in the University of Peradeniya was named “George Kodituwakku Auditorium”on January 23, 2014 in the presence of his family, the Vice Chancellor and well-wishers.
Early this year, a few of us were fortunate enough to have enjoyed happy moments with him and his family at his residence in Park Road, Colombo 5. Though he was not mobile and very feeble, he enthusiastically related old stories of the Faculty to the younger generation of veterinary teachers. His demise a few months later brought sorrow to our hearts in losing a dearly loved and most respected teacher who taught us the art of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, the curriculum which he himself was instrumental in establishing in the University of Peradeniya.
May he attain supreme peace and happiness in his samsaric journey.
1974-78 Batch of Veterinary Students
Bryan Paul Senanayake
I miss you more every day
You would think after eight long years and so many changes in our lives and around us, the pain of losing you would have eased. On the contrary, I miss you more every day.
I so often wonder what you would have been like and how you would have reacted to certain situations if you were physically with us…. I guess we can only speculate.
But, I know one thing for sure. I know our lives and the lives of your grandchildren would have been enriched with your presence and love. The love that you gave me so unconditionally. There was never a moment in my life that I felt you didn’t love me and just knowing that you continue to do so and are with me always, means the world to me.
The only comfort is knowing you are happy in the arms of Lord Jesus and with Mother Mary.
I only ask that you continue to be a strong presence in my heart, in my being and never leave my side.
I love you, Dada and miss you more than you know or, maybe you do….
With all my love,
Shima