Appreciations
View(s):Jayanthi Karunarathne
She was sincere, generous and compassionate
One year has gone since Jayanthi Karunarathne passed away, leaving us in sorrow. She hailed from the well-known Ranathunga family in Pasyala, had her education at Musaeus College Colombo and completed her higher education at the University of Colombo. As a student, she played netball, badminton and other sports.
As a teacher she was well known for her dedication and commitment towards her students. Their achievements made her feel happy and proud. She was much loved by her students. I was fortunate enough to witness her capabilities as we were together on the same staff for sometime.
Although we met in school, we continued our friendship till the end of her life. During the period we were together, she was like my shadow. She was my children’s much loved aunt and guided them on the correct paths to success. Thanks to her, one of them could become a qualified quantity surveyor. I regret now that I was unable to be with her when she was sick.
She was a simple lady blessed with great qualities such as sincerity, generosity and compassion. She was blessed with a happy marriage to Dudley Karunarathne , a High Court Judge who was a pillar of strength to her. They were a wonderful pair who instilled many valuable thoughts in us.
I will never forget her deep love for animals. I vividly remember how she looked after her dogs. She reared them as her companions. She loved plants as well and tended her garden with great care. She spent her leisure usefully. She was an example to us.
She was a lady of many talents. An excellent housewife, she could prepare sumptuous meals and make delicious cakes, sweetmeats, varieties of wine and fruit drinks.
She lived a religious life. She was a devout Buddhist who took great interest in Buddhist activities. Jayanthi was one of the most virtuous ladies I knew.
May your journey in in Sansara be very short and may you reach the supreme bliss of Nibbana.
Lalitha Gunathilake
Durand and Matilda Pieris Seneviratne
That gracious couple of ‘Forest Hills’ Kandana
My dear father Durand Paul Peiris Seneviratne passed away 52 years ago at the age of 62 and my dear mother Matilda Stella Peiris Seneviratne nee Gunasekera passed away 24 years ago at the age of 84.
They had walked into ‘Forest Hills’ (the farm) in 1939 with their two adorable sons Upali (Rajah) and Gamini (Bunny). In 1940 they had been blessed with their long awaited daughter – as told by Ammi. I was the first to be born at ‘Forest Hills’ followed by my sisters Preeni (Polly) and Duranthi (Ukkun). Sadly we lost our darling sister Polly, my playmate at the age of 10 years due to a medical misadventure which was a great shock to all of us.
Ours was a beautiful homely abode for all our friends and relatives. Our house had a bit of Dutch architecture at the time with a thick boundary wall in front and a canopy above, two tall gates with strong vertical iron rods fixed to broad pillars. I remember swinging to and fro on the gates with my sisters and friends and getting a spanking from Ammi, if caught. The retaining wall of the house was octagonal in shape with four flights of steps right round. The two dark rooms with small Dutch windows were our ideal hide and seek spots. A hedge of beautiful dark mauve gramophone flowers lined the rest of the garden for many years. Both Ammi and Thaththi were very keen on the garden. We had almost every kind of fruit, the best being the ‘pani waraka’ tree and all varieties of flower plants grown under Ammi’s supervision at a time when helpers were aplenty. She never failed to share all her garden produce with the neighbours and relatives.
During the 2nd World War, Thaththi who was an officer in the Ceylon Government Railway had to reside in close proximity to Colombo, whilst most of our relations had moved away.
Thaththi was a lover of sports. Tennis being closest to his heart, he was a member of some 30 lawn tennis clubs from Mount Lavinia to Negombo. He captained and brought victory to the government services tennis team in 1957.
He and all his brothers had been educated at Ananda College during the Kularatne era. In that time students were not allowed to speak in Sinhala. Hence, my father was backward in his Sinhala but a scholar in English – a walking dictionary. He was quite disturbed when the ‘Sinhala only’ Act was introduced by S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike.
I used to enjoy listening to Ammi talking about her childhood. Ammi who was also the youngest in the family like Thaththi, had received her education at Christ Church Girls’ School, Baddegama under the care of her elder sister Clara who was married to Dr. Corea, the District Medical Officer for Baddegama and Wanduramba at the time.
From time to time, many of our cousins and their children too came to live with us. There were many children of friends and relatives, Ammi and Thaththi looked after with much love and care. Ammi and Thaththi were quite proud of us and we were given the best of everything. Food, clothing, education and more than anything the advice to become upright citizens.
Unlike today, ice cream was a rare commodity those days and I still remember how Thaththi bought an ice cream maker to make a gallon of ice cream every Sunday which was shared by all our playmates in the neighbourhood.
Brother Gamini’s academic success was a great source of pride to them. He was a prize winner all along – while at the primary at De Mazenod College and thereafter at Royal College Colombo. His final year at Royal was unique, when he carried away a record number of prizes including the all important memorial prizes. Governor Sir Oliver Goonetilleke was the chief guest. There was a standing ovation for Gamini which is still vivid in my memory as I too accompanied my parents on that occasion.
I still remember the day Gamini got through the prestigious Ceylon Civil Service (CCS) examination. Thaththi’s happiness was boundless; apparently he was the first CGR officer to have produced a civil servant and that was the final lot of civil servants as the CCS was scrapped thereafter.
Eldest brother Upali too brought great happiness to Ammi and Thaththi by being an exemplary officer in the Police Department. At all the Police Stations he served, he left an indelible mark as a brave officer who was even successful in rehabilitating the worst criminals. They and their families were ever so grateful to him for his services. As a devout Buddhist he never failed to organize all night pirith ceremonies and sanghika danes on a mass scale at the stations where he served. During his tenure in Anuradhapura and Trincomalee he never failed to take the parents and many of our elderly relatives on pilgrimages, providing all comforts and safety. My sister Duranthi and I too did our utmost as teachers.
Ammi and Thaththi took us to see the annual Duruthu Perahera at Kelaniya and then to visit our grandmother, Cornelia Weerasinghe’s relatives in Waragoda – the Weerasinghe clan. They also never failed to take us on trips during the school vacation which we enjoyed very much. Once it was a trip by air to Deeghavapi and other places around, a rare opportunity in that era.
Ammi’s elder brother Gilbert, who was Chairman of the Town Council, Kandana for a record 29 years too was a frequent visitor to our place, more of a friend to Thaththi and they used to enjoy a game of bridge on Sundays. Also Thaththi was fond of organizing sea baths at the Uswetakeiyawa beach, enjoyed by quite a few of our cousins on the maternal side.
My fervent hope is that the rare sparkling gems you embedded in us be passed down the line for many more generations to come.
May the merit accrued from our numerous pinkamas be bestowed upon you both Ammi, Thaththi and nangi Polly to attain the bliss of nirvana in the shortest possible time.
Rukmani Raddalgoda
Monica De Alwis
Thank you for the memories and the good times we shared
Monica Marion Phyllis De Alwis peacefully clasped the blessed hands of almighty God, at the age of 96 years on Thursday, April 6. She was the precious life partner of the late senior attorney-at-law Lucian A. P. De Alwis, JPUM.
Monica was the third of 12 siblings in the family of well known criminal lawyer Chevalier C. L. W. Perera and the Esther Perera of Kurunegala. Amma was the doting mother of five sons and six daughters, the fond grandmother to 25 children as well as great grandmother of 14. She was the matriarch of a wide and extended family circle comprising of doctors, lawyers, engineers, bank and mercantile executives, IT professionals and entrepreneurs.
She hailed from a lineage of gentility and repute in a conservative Catholic background. Amma was always simple and humble, modest and elegant in attire, with no false airs and cultivated demeanours. Her graceful and pleasing ways were the hallmarks of her interactions in society with relations, friends, clergy and colleagues. She supported her husband in all his endeavours. They were close and attached to each other, their bond heightened by understanding, trust and hope.
Bringing up a large family was no burden to them. Amma actively joined Thaththa in providing the necessities and requirements of the family ranging from nutrition, medication, clothing, counselling, education, music and sports. She maintained a spick and span household. Her domain was of course the kitchen, where she prepared balanced and healthy food with care and attention. Amma’s culinary skills were prominently displayed on significant occasions with a well laid out table of sumptuous dishes, among them her appetising beef smore and delicious seeni sambol.
They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1994 at the Mount Lavinia Hotel amongst family, relations and friends with joyful toasts and felicitations beginning with a mass of thanksgiving. The golden era continued for a further five years until Thatha’s death in 1999, following which Amma lived in prayer, remembrance and gratitude for 18 long years with the love, care and support of her grateful family.
Amma nurtured a pleasant outdoor environment with exotic plants paying special attention to flowering varieties. Befittingly her bier was adorned with clusters of fragrant roses and dahlias of various hues. Her prowess with the needle was much admired for her execution, neatness and presentation. Her nimble and swift fingers could create colourful embroidery and the image she had worked of Santa Claus on chair covers are still exhibited at Christmas.
Another aspect of Amma was her respect, regard, concern, friendship and assistance to others including orphanages and elders’ homes. It was in consideration of others wants as well as an acknowledgment of their success, that she moved among people sincerely not forgetting their birthdays and anniversaries. Amma also took intense pleasure in giving gifts and memorabilia at appropriate times. Unforgettable are the splendid Christmas get-togethers when Santa Claus called our names to hug us with a present.
Amma’s departure ended an innings of accomplishments in love and fidelity, in care and concern, in goodwill and sincerity, in charity and in praise and trust in God.
Thank you Amma for the memories you have left and for the good times we have shared.
May you be at peace.
Ronnie