Appreciations
View(s):He left behind a rich legacy at Pera EFac
J.A. Gunawardena
Prof J.A. Gunawardena graduated from the University of Ceylon in 1959 with first class honours in Electrical Engineering and served on the academic staff continuously from 1961 till his retirement in December 2002. He was a true servant of the Peradeniya Engineering Faculty who emulated the great traditions of our leading Professors like EOE Pereira, Paul, Batho who used to visit the faculty regularly even after hours. We used to affectionately call him Gunda and even his wife Lalitha changed the form of address from Jaya to Gunda in our presence. I was told that Gunda’s voice was heard in the Faculty senior common room just days before he fell ill on Thursday, August 29. He never kept away from EFac affairs and was always there to enjoy experiences with past graduates at batch reunions.
I first saw Gunda in 1962 when I was travelling by train from Matara to Galle for my University entrance examination. He was seated in the same train with a book and I was pleasantly surprised to see him invigilating at the examination hall. We became close buddies from 1968 after he returned overland driving his brand new Fiat 850 armed with a PhD from Cambridge. More than anything else he was proud to say he was from Mahinda College, Galle.
I shared many pleasant trips to Polhena, Matara, his home with a stopover at Lalitha’s home at Kotugoda. It was an unforgettable experience to maintain a constant 70kmph drive with Gunda in full control. He knew motor mechanics in and out and all the short cuts to manoeuvre his beautiful car effortlessly. For four decades we shared many things living at Meewatura, Peradeniya as academic colleagues including hot debates, always ending with a drink, a meal and sometimes a game of bridge.
Gunda was a hard taskmaster and proudly followed the traditions of old masters at PeraEFac in enforcing discipline, rigour and accuracy in lab work. He worked with utmost dedication to create proud products of Pera electrical engineers. He never went after praises or paychecks but firmly believed in drilling the students with hard core of engineering basics to drive students to self-learning habits.
Prof. Gunawardena was a symbol of simplicity and humility. He was a humble professional who lived an exemplary life. He impacted the students in more ways than most people understood. He was a teacher who inspired many committed ethical professionals. Teachers like Prof.J.A.Gunawardena deserve praise and gratitude.
Dear Gunda, our memories of you will never fade, you will always remain in our hearts as a proud Pera EFac colleague with impeccable humane qualities. Piyaseeli and I join Lalitha and Arundathi in sharing the grief of your loss.You left behind a rich legacy at Pera EFac.I am sure, the merits of gifting excellent engineers to our motherland will help you to reach your desired destination, the supreme bliss of Nibbana.
H.H.J.Keerthisena
The shining light in friendly relations with Japan
Daya Wettasinghe
The passing away of Daya Wettasinghe in the early hours of June 22 was indeed a moment of great sorrow to all of us who were blessed by his friendship. Daya’s life was a whirlwind of energy. In his late ’70s, he found time not only for his professional and business responsibilities, but also to carry out an intense social life at times pursuing controversies.
He was the doyen of Japan-Sri Lanka friendship and business, having given long years of leadership to the Lanka-Japan Friendship Society, the Sri Lanka-Japan Business Council and the Sasakawa Trust. He was decorated with the “Order of the Rising Sun” by the Emperor of Japan in recognition of his outstanding services.
His vigorous energy was seen at its best during the 2014 visit to Sri Lanka by Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe. His speech on behalf of the Sri Lankan business community at the banquet in honour of Prime Minister Abe remains etched in our memories forever, and won for him accolades from the Japanese business leaders.
Daya shared a warm friendship with the highest echelons of Japanese business and political leaders, including two Prime Ministers of Japan who held him in high regard. He never pursued his business interests in the course of his official interaction with Japanese Chambers of Commerce. He worked for the promotion of Sri Lanka-Japan business ties and many Sri Lankans were the beneficiaries of his initiatives.
Daya was lavish in his hospitality towards his friends from various social strata, who gathered at his elegant residence down Isipathana Mawatha, for many a celebration. He cared for the less affluent and the dispossessed, silently and bereft of publicity.
As a friend, Daya was there in your moment of need! A connoisseur of the good life Daya had dined and wined in the best restaurants in the world but was equally comfortable in a wayside eatery! He was always in designer suits, designer shirts, designer neckties and designer cufflinks, all well coordinated!
Those of us who are lovers of Japan will always remember Daya for the magnificent banquet he organised every year in honour of the Japanese Emperor.
As the President of the Consuls Association in Sri Lanka, Daya representing Ukraine, coordinated many initiatives for the promotion of international relations among major countries with Consular representation in Sri Lanka; a service entirely voluntary in nature.
Daya was a devoted and loving husband to Pearl who was his perfect match, and a wonderful father to his daughter Sashi and her husband Tareeq. He loved his grandchildren immensely. Farewell Daya – may you have Eternal Rest!
In the words of the famous American composer Irving Berlin, for Daya,
“The song has ended. But the melody lingers on”.
Merrick Gooneratne
To a wonderful Ammi who gave so much
Felicia Kusum Fernando
Ammi was born on August 23, 1939 in Koralawella, Moratuwa and would have celebrated her 80th birthday this year. She left us in May 2015 at Durdans Hospital after a brief illness.
This is to honour her memory and the beautiful meaningful life she lived among us.
Ammi married Stanley Fernando (my beloved Thathi) and raising five boys in the difficult 1970s and 1980s she did her best to supplement Thathi’s government salary from the Inland Revenue by giving piano lessons, one of her many talents. Ammi had an entrepreneurial spirit that was infectious. To learn the internet, learn to Skype, learn gemmology and even purchasing the ancestral home are evidence of her character. She was a great seamstress and stitched all our school uniforms and until recently, her dresses.
Her great cooking skills are attested to this day by the grandchildren’s addiction to her fried chicken drumsticks, and our love for peppery pork and beef, to name only two of her favourite dishes. She ensured my wife learnt my favourite dishes of her Katta or Halmaso thel dala (fried with onion etc), so I get to enjoy it even though she is not around.
Naturally blessed with wit, brains, humour, beauty, vibrancy, intelligence and a tremendous ability to care, Ammi in every sense of the word was a giver. She knew no boundaries of giving and was always there with the boundless understanding of a mother. Just like my Thathi, Ammi was the making of us. We felt we had to fulfil our life goals to make her happy because she suffered so much for us. In this way, she inspired us and will continue to inspire us.
Thank you Ammi, for the years given to make me the person, I am today. You showed me to have faith in prayer however difficult the circumstances are and most importantly in the power of the Holy Rosary. I will remember you every time I take up the Rosary to pray because now I carry yours. I still miss our Saturday chats, lying on my favourite sofa in Katubedda.
Ammi, you have given me a lifetime of memories to cherish and I am a proud son to have had a mother like you. Until we meet again, dance with the angels and enjoy being with your first and last love Thathi……
Chuta (Hemesh)
Your departure is irreparable
Bakthika Simon
Oh, dearest Bakthi,
One year has passed since you have left us so silently.
Yet, we remember you almost all the days of that year.
Your charismatic smile, intelligent talk and unlimited friendship still linger in our hearts.
And when I remember you tears fall on my cheeks unknowingly.
For us, your departure is irreparable.
We have no one to talk of the important issues of today.
The blind community in and around Kandy still laments your departure because of the yeoman service you have done for them.
They have no one to look after them as you did magnanimously.
Oh, my sweet prince,wish you a happy journey in Sansara
Until, I too will come to join you soon.
Susantha Kodituwakku