Appreciations
View(s):60 years of selfless service
Ethel Fernando
Mrs. Ethel Fernando joined the Mallika Nivasa Samithiya (Society) Ltd. in 1955 as an executive committee member. Since then for nearly 60 years she had been associated with the society in varying capacities and rendered a selfless service until her demise a year ago at the grand old age of 92 years. She enjoyed the privilege of being our most senior living past president serving the executive committee.
She gave the society yeoman service, having served in many capacities: as secretary of the Parakrama Boys’ Home, as a Vice President, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary General Secretary of the society. She became the president of the society from 1976 to 1979.
In response to numerous requests from the public, a long felt need was fulfilled during her tenure in office as the president when she converted a onetime yarn depot (stores) to a Home for female senior citizens. Named ‘Seth Medura’, it was the first paying Home and was opened in March 1978 by Mrs. Hema Premadasa. I quote her own words, “this institution would give a Home away from Home for many ladies”.
Although Ethel held many positions in the society it was the Parakrama Boys’ Home that was closest to her heart. Having had three little grandsons, now grown up to be qualified young men, I presume she had a special place in her heart for the boys at Parakrama. I could recall her saying how she would take one or two boys from the home during the school vacation and nurture them with much love. Her ardent service to this Home is evident from the reports of the society and the 75th Jubilee Souvenir from which I quote, “I thoroughly enjoyed working there, and indeed derived immense joy and pride in monitoring the metamorphosis of the little destitute, orphan boys into determined young men of the world standing forth to the future with new hope”.
I recall with fond memories how she used to organise trips for the boys where the committee members too would join. She would get the bus to stop by the river side to cook the pot of rice and we helped ourselves to a delicious meal. Coming from a family of culinary experts she too was one of them and would bring her favourite dishes made by herself to annual events organised by the society. She commenced a home garden project and many other vocational training projects particularly, on handicraft and carpentry where quite a number of boys were trained and guided towards employment.
She also formed a literary association which met on a regular basis and conducted debates among the boys at Parakrama. It was indeed the ‘Golden Era’ of Parakrama Home. She was equally gifted with the needle and thread. Even though with difficulty she would visit the Home for disabled orphan girls at the All Ceylon Women’s Buddhist Congress (ACWBC) and teach them tapestry. When it came to a stage when she could not walk without help she would request her daughter Kamalini to take her to visit Parakrama Home.
Despite her age Ethel participated in the annual fund raising projects until a couple of years ago when her poor health prevented her from playing an active role in the society. Yet her mind was alert so much so that we often sought her advice with much respect when needed. At the Annual General Meeting of the society held in 2012 Ethel was felicitated for nearly 60 years of incredible contributions towards the welfare of the society.
In the years that followed she grew old gracefully, well cared for and showered with immeasurable love by her only daughter Kamalini and her three grandsons, great grand children and other family members who were near and dear to her. She lived a quiet and sedate life in the closing years of her active life.
Dear Ethel, with all the merit you acquired, may you be blessed with the Bliss of Nirvana.
-Indrani Munasinha
Safely home in heaven
Anushiya De Saram
I am home in heaven dear ones;
Oh, so happy and so bright
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.
He came himself to meet me
In that way so hard to tread;
With Jesus’ arm to lean on
Could I have one doubt or dread?
All the pain and grief is over
Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home in heaven at last
Remembered with Love, always
-Thaththa, Amma, Malli, Lakmini Uthum and Pathum
We must all be happy for his life
Prof. Uditha Liyanage
There was many an accolade, appreciation, tribute and honour bestowed upon Uditha, who is sadly with us no longer. Many, if not all, of the above tributes were from educational institutions and corporates, where Uditha played roles of the utmost importance. However, I today write about the family man where he played a role that was even more important.
His father, Late P.L.N. Liyanage and mother Nanda, together for more than 50 years were an exemplary couple who brought up their children with love and care. They were and are immensely proud of him and the positive impact he had on the society in which he lived. Uditha had a special place for his parents in his heart. I remember once how he regretted having said something rash to his father, when he was 14 years old. Uditha was the eldest brother in a family of three and his love and concern for his siblings, nieces and nephew was consistent, and sincere.
Uditha, an extremely busy man with a tight schedule never missed a family function to be with his extended family. He was not a man who bragged about what he did or the connections he had. He got immense pleasure from doing what he liked most, teaching, and mentoring intelligent young adults to greater heights in their careers. It was after his death that many, including myself, have come to realise the vast quantum of work he did for the organisations he worked at and wonder how he found the time to wear so many hats, and do everything he did, so meticulously.
Uditha was a forthright person to the hilt. He despised dishonesty. I know that he never hesitated, in spite of any personal relationship he had, to get the right thing done. This was just one of the excellent qualities he had as a leader and as a man.
Looking back, one reason could be that he was a man who would absorb many good things from great thinkers. I fondly remember the days in the ‘70s when I accompanied him to the Anula nursery to listen to recorded talks of Mr. Krishnamoorthy, the gatherings at Thurstan College Hall where Rationalist Association meetings were held in the presence of Dr. Abrahm T. Kovoor, talks by Ven. Ananda Mangala Thero and the talks at Maithree hall at Lauries Road to name a few. Bertrand Russell was one of his favourite authors and Uditha would often quote that great mind as well.
He was also a great fan of good music, his favourite being Master Amaradeva. He would listen to the music of Amaradeva any time and would be absorbed in it. Other musicians he enjoyed were Victor Ratnayaka, Sunil Edirisinghe, Nimal Mendis and Master Khemadasa. We attended performances by all of them. In the ‘ 70s, the rebel years some call it, Uditha saw Victor Ratnayaka’s “SAA” concert more than eight times, even gate crashing it once. Even as time went on and the number of his engagements and appointments increased he always found the time to attend a good concert.
Most recently he attended the concerts of the Commonwealth Symphony Orchestra where the children of his colleague Dr. Travis Perera of PIM performed, a Nanda Malini show, and a Master Amaradeva tribute concert to name a few.
Uditha had a full life. He had a doting wife, Sriyani and a loving daughter, Chaturi. The entire family is extremely happy and proud of everything Uditha contributed and achieved throughout his life. There were many years left in him where he could have served his country, profession, students and the institutions he was attached to. I personally think that we must all be happy for his life, for it was a life well lived, though the inevitable happened a few years before it should have.
My wife Deepani lost her elder brother and I lost a brother-in-law, friend and companion.
May he attain Nibbana.
-Rohith Dias
She left us with memories to treasure
Henrietta Hemalatha Lanerolle Kumarapperuma
On December 28, 1939, she cried and came to our midst. She left her beloved husband,children and all her loved ones on August 28, 2013. Mrs. Henrietta Hemalatha Lanerolle Kumarapperuma, our precious “Rita Nangi” left us with memories to treasure of a bygone past full of fun and laughter.
Getting her primary education in the Government Senior School, Gampaha (now Bandaranayake National School), her secondary education in Methodist College, Colombo 3 and higher education at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, she started her career as a teacher in the Department of Education and retired as the Deputy Director General of Education. She was highly educated but humble, never affected by her knowledge.
She loved literature, especially the works of William Shakespeare, Keyt, Wordsworth, Shelley and Byron. I was lucky enough to spend lot of time speaking to her over the phone finding clues for crossword puzzles and sharing her knowledge until her short period of ill health and unexpected death. The day we parted I kissed her warm brow and she clasped her hand in mine. It was the last farewell.
She married “Kumar” as we called him, who retired as the Deputy Commissioner General of Examinations. They had a daughter who is a medical doctor and a son who is a computer engineer. She was a loving wife, devoted amma and caring grandmother, taking the forefront in the household chores until her unexpected departure.
Being the fourth in a family of four girls and a boy, she was a loving and caring sister and fond aunt to nephews and nieces. Amidst a busy schedule, she was always there for family affairs. She was a devoted Buddhist who believed in practising what you preach. Living next to the “Maliban Aramaya” of Beddagana, Kotte, she took a lead in the activities of the temple. Being a national representative of the Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WWFP), she participated in several international and local conferences as a resource person. She spent her free time for the social welfare of the society through various organisations as well as on her own. She loved travelling locally as well as internationally to experience firsthand the things which she read about in books.Her life-time partner was always there to support her in these endeavours without any complaints which was a great strength in her life.
We hope that you are in eternal bliss far from misery and sorrow. Someday we will meet in that land beyond——– sweet Nangi.
May you attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana!
-Your ever-loving Akka,
Claudine Lanerolle Senaratne
A planter par excellence
R. L. Perera
Uncle Reggie and Aunty Lil were my Godparents. If ever there was a person who in my eyes I would name as a “perfect gentleman” it would be Uncle Reggie. An active, robust man, in his younger days, a budding, all round planter who epitomised the high tradition and culture of the “Plantation Guru” of yesteryear, he lived up to its promise when he matured in the later years into a well accepted, leading plantation manager, sought- after by all in the sector for his counsel and advice.
It is unique that these consultations did not merely end with the technicalities of scientific tea and rubber plantation management. His forte was combining and buttressing his high management skills, with understanding and sympathy towards human beings. It was here that his skills were relied on. He served many masters during his active years, with varying temperaments and exactitude. He delivered in full, all requirements, with his ability to harness the innate skills of the workers to foster high levels of output, but done willingly.
My conscious mind knows of him from the time I was a boy of six that equates to a span of over 60 years. He retired from formal duties 25 years before his demise and during the 35 years of his active planting career which I know of, there was never a single day when there was a stoppage of work in the plantations he managed or a record of any industrial dispute. His understanding of the workers human needs, their shortcomings, his empathy with the forlorn and the often neglected workers and his sincere efforts to redress these shortcomings made him the “fulleth man” in the eyes of the worker.
His progress to the zenith of the plantation career commenced with the entry into the Government School of Agriculture after a successful academic career ending at St. Benedict’s College, Colombo. When academic institutions were few and entry into them was immensely competitive, the desired pathway for all those who deserved to achieve a Plantation Agricultural Management career was the highly valued Government School of Agriculture. With the completion of his Diploma, Uncle Reggie, quite easily received selection for a career in Planting in the late 1930’s when a plantation in Nagoda employed the fresh, young man on its Executive Agricultural Staff.
It was at this age and stage of his career that he met my Aunt Lily and after a brief courtship tied the nuptial knot in December 1940. Soon after, he was recruited by Charles P. Hayley & Co. to the Management Staff of Hulandawa Estate as an Assistant Superintendent under Cyril Northway. Whilst there, Uncle Reggie got his big break in 1948, when he was invited to manage Deniyaya Estate, which was under Carson Cumberbatch and Co. Ltd. He served the plantation and the company for many, long years, both to the satisfaction of the owners and the workers. A little known, fledgling plantation blossomed to a large, productive one under his guidance. He built it up agronomically, economically, commercially while delivering the promise of a better future for the human factor on the plantation.
In 1975, when he wished to bid farewell to full time work, he had developed Deniyaya Estate to the glory of being an agronomically, outstanding, commercially viable plantation. His skill and devotion to planting was showcased in his management of it, for all to see and admire. Uncle Reggie’s attachment and love for planting did not terminate with his formal retirement.
He continued his career, but more modestly, as a Director of Tea Small Holdings Authority, visiting and advising their planters, plantations and factories. He was the prime mover in setting up five Tea factories for the small holders in Neluwa. Concurrently, he was the advisor to the Ministry of Plantation Industries which was under Montague Jayawickrema.
Uncle Reggie lived true to his conscience. He loved his wife; he loved his children and was considerate, understanding and generous to anyone who sought his assistance. Many young people have been set off on successful careers both with his assistance and guidance. Apart from the many gifts I received from him on my birthdays, was one that I treasure most. When I was anxious to seek early employment on completing my Advanced Level studies, he requested me to reconsider my ambition of entering into a planting career. He advised my parents, to encourage me to do further academic studies, as he foresaw the path of my skills. He wa right and I am grateful for it.
During his retirement years he pitched indefatigably into voluntary work. He assisted the Bishop of Kandy and the Bishop of Galle in visiting and advising the plantations of the diocese, to upgrade them to being productive ventures. This he did without personal gain, merely with the sole intention of being useful, doing something he loved.
His active life ended, when he went into full retirement in 2003. After a race well run, at the age of 93, Uncle Reggie was called to rest with Jesus in 2009. May he rest in peace!
-Ranjith Bopearachchi
The most amazing and lovely person
Leonie Samerawickreme
The loveliest memory of my Godmother, Mrs. Leonie Samerawickreme, that I will cherish all my life is her immensely beautiful smile and even now after six long years of losing her, I just close my eyes and see her smiling face. Punchie Ammie was my confidante, and friend, whose guidance and love I was sure of always. No matter who turned away, or who misunderstood, I knew that Punchi was always there, to lend a sympathetic ear and give the best advice. It is amazing how she always understood and knew what to say.
I used to drop in to see her quite often during the latter part of her life, and most of those days, she had just returned from Colombo after Dialysis. I am sure she felt very tired and drained of energy, but there was never a complaint or grumble, instead she had that beaming smile, and was just happy to be back home in Kandy.
She was a lady with immense courage and resilience, and was always happy. The pain and discomfort she suffered with kidneys that were failing, never kept her down for long. Punchie was an ardent fan of some of those never-ending tele-dramas, and enjoyed them to the extent of laughing and crying with the various characters, according to their situations. I myself was compelled to watch a few episodes as I visited her, and there she sat with Uncle Shirley, who I presume had no choice, but to watch them with Punchie; and also with her faithful companion Geema; enjoying the story.
The memories are numerous, and I wish she was here. I really wished she was there at my son’s wedding a few weeks ago, and I could picture the bear hug she would have given him and his bride, and how loved and cherished she would have made them feel.
It is amazing how an aunt could be missed this much after six long years, and I understand very well the tears that fill the eyes of her children, Navinda, Rajintha, Anuja and Gayintha and her grandchildren Navintach and Esandi, when they think of her and also of Uncle Shirley, even now.
Punchie Ammie, I am sure you met Uncle Shirley just beyond the moon, where he stopped and waited for you, and that together, hand in hand you have found the promised land. I am sure that you are very happy now and blessed with perfect health, and that you have met all those loved ones gone before, and that your smile is even sweeter than before.
I also know that you are here with us, especially at all the important events in the earthly lives of the loved ones, you left behind.
Thank you, for being the most amazing and lovely person that you were. Thank you for the beautiful memories that make us smile and sometimes cry. Thank you most of all for the love that you lavished on all of us who were fortunate enough to have known you. We love you and will miss you, until we meet again.
Happy Birthday for August 7, my darling Punchie Ammie.
-Your God-daughter and niece, Joy