Honest and intrepid, he never compromised on his integrity
(A letter to the sons of an honest man)
My Dear Hiran, Suren and Nalin,
Your beloved father is no more, but do not grieve; be proud of him! He was a ‘Man among Men’ who stood straight and tall, in all life’s circumstances. He left a lucrative career in the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, to educate you his sons, in the UK. For him family came first, and together with his wife Rita, he dedicated his life to your wellbeing.
Having schooled at St. Joseph’s College, he was called “Scholarship John” as he won every academic prize available, except for the Tamil prize (I’m sure it was not for the lack of trying)! For his efforts, a full scholarship was awarded to him.
reek and Latin were his forte, and he imparted this knowledge to his grand-children without reserve. Never one to do things by half, his achievements were ‘par excellence!’
His grand-children Roshan, Rehana, Schan, Maya and he, shared a mutual adoration. They chatted for hours, picking his gargantuan mind for morsels of wisdom.
The generation gap did not exist where they were concerned, friendship was all! Although the latter were in Sri Lanka, and the former in the UK, one would think they had never been apart, to see them together.
Honest and intrepid to a fault, his straight-talking manner may have made him unpopular with some, but he never compromised on his integrity.
Once when he was DRO Tangalle, a person brought him a couple of pots of curd as a token of his gratitude. The man and the curd were thrown out unceremoniously! A rare quality indeed in this day and age, when ‘pots of money’ are accepted with alacrity!
Rita, his partner of 59 years, and a short-listed Gratiaen Award nominee, was an absorbing ‘weaver of tales!’ Many are the hours we as children spent at her knee, open-mouthed and enthralled. John would sit nearby, his face wreathed in indulgent smiles. Theirs was,(in spite of much good-natured bickering), truly a marriage of minds and hearts!
Twenty five years ago, they founded the ‘Friends of Needy Children’s Association’ (FONCA), which had 42 Children’s Homes on their roster.
It was entirely manned by volunteers, who enhanced the lives of countless children, from Kilinochchi to Matara.“Any kindness that we can do, let us do it now!”was his motto.
My parents and they being close relatives, and even closer friends, meant our lives were closely entwined.Then when my daughter decided to marry their son, it was truly de jure! Dear friend,‘May the turf lie gently upon you, and may the angels sing you to your final resting place!’