Appreciations
View(s):To our queen mum
Santha De Zoysa
Amma Dearest – you were our queen mum!
It is said death ends a life not a relationship.
You had a very staid upbringing with a convent education in Colombo and public school in England.
Later on while reading for your degree at the Peradeniya campus your heart was captured by that dashing prosecutor. Both of you hailing from the sunny golden shores of the south found romance in the cool of the green hills.
Out of this holy alliance you bore two children. Even if I may say so, two stunning assets. Modesty they say is unbecoming at a time like this.
You handled life’s challenges with serenity. Trials and tribulations you never took seriously. You knew they were transitory. You shared Kipling’s view that success was a mere impostor!
Your balanced approach to life gave you the ability to enjoy life the way you wanted.
Never did you refuse anybody in need. You were never a taker but a giver. Over the years the charitable handouts I witnessed you giving were immeasurable. I am told the first cheque signed by you was a donation to Lanka Mahila Samithi. However you were extremely private about it.
You led a good life. I am told you were the cynosure of your contemporaries when driving around in your swanky red M.G. Your spell in the travel trade earned you many accolades locally and internationally from counterparts.
At work your secretary told me you had never raised your voice to her. You were very accessible to all employees of Monaro and ready to sort out a pro- tem at anytime. Your desk was always neat and tidy and you never passed the buck.
You cut a fine figure walking into a party or a more solemn occasion with equal dignity. Glamour and style – you did not clamour for. They came naturally to you.
Your love and passion for animals put you in the role of a hockey Mum! Some of them you bred. You got your thrills and spills when your horses sprinted to victory or dropped dead while on course. You enjoyed riding them in your younger days. Lately your little pet poodle winning at the dog shows put you in a champagne drinking mood. They were nurtured by you with absolute tenderness.
As a friend you cherished friendships and the consensus is that your beauty was honesty. As a hostess you made any guest feel royal.
As a Mother you taught us life was the greatest test of endurance!
You put your artistic flair to good use during the time Sri Lanka had a closed economy. I remember organising our birthday parties was a challenge. You had to hunt for white sugar and wheat flour. I have memories of you calling around going into every nook and cranny in search of these. Once the challenge was overcome you produced the most beautiful cakes. My friends still remember the individually painted birthday cards and the attractive packages of takeaway gifts which were extremely novel.
You were empowered which made you a great lady.
Asjitha your grandson when learning of your death said “Amma you must step into her shoes which may be too large but I will help you fill them in a small way.”
You were always there for your cousins, nieces and nephews, having their best interests at heart.
Your demise was handled by one of the deadliest assassins of modern times.
Amma dearest, I shall not cry because it is over but smile because it happened.
Today we celebrate your life and ask St. Peter to open the pearly gates wide so that God welcomes his dear child who leaves us with no regrets into His kingdom which is eternal.
(Eulogy delivered by
Santhosh De Zoysa at the requiem for Santha De Zoysa)
Well known educationist and international civil servant no more
Dr. Uvais Ahmed
Well known educationist and international civil servant Dr. Uvais Ahmed passed away early this month. His funeral took place at the Dehiwala burial ground on October 6.
Dr. Ahmed, educated at St. Mathew’s College, Colombo, started his professional career as a teacher immediately after school.
Subsequently, he obtained his BA (English, Economics, and Philosophy), receiving second class Honours at the Sri Jayewardenepura University, post-graduate diploma in Applied Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh, winning a British Government Scholarship and his PhD from Columbia Pacific University, majoring in Education. He also obtained a post-graduate diploma in School Administration from the Moray House College of Education UK, and a diploma in Educational Media from the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development in Malaysia.
He worked as a teacher, textbook writer, education officer, lecturer in English at the Teachers’ Training College, and was Prinicipal of Zahira College, Gampola and Colombo, Director of Education in charge of curriculum development and teacher education and Director, Sri Lanka College of Journalism.
In 1978, Dr. Ahmed, who was appointed by UNESCO as an expert in Educational Media and Education Technology, functioned as consultant to the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) in Paris.
In 1983, he joined the UN/FAO as their Consultant in Development Communication and Non-formal Education in Nigeria, Zambia, Uganda, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Thailand and the kingdom of Tonga.
He has also served the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, as their Consultant in Teacher Education and was a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, Canberra.
Latheef Farook
Memories of your loving and special gestures
Sumana Silva
It is hard to believe that it’s nearly five months since Aunty Sumana passed away on May 28.
She possessed a special love for me and I considered her as my ‘Loku Amma’, as my mother didn’t have any sisters.
Aunty Sumana was born in Panadura on December 12, 1928. She was the eldest in her family and had three younger brothers.
She married Uncle Chandra (late D. V. C. Silva) and was blessed with three daughters, Kamalini, Nimalka and Dushyanthi. Kamalini and Nimalka are presently living in Australia. Dushyanthi and her husband Ranjan looked after aunty well until her end and she was a loving and a caring mother to them.
After passing out from the University of Colombo, she began teaching at Princess of Wales College, Moratuwa and was later transferred to Prince of Wales College from where she retired in 1983. She was a great disciplinarian and helped many children in their education. Even at her advanced age, she gave tuition to children.
To me she was a very loving aunt who never missed my birthday and sent me many useful and valuable gifts which I still use. Whenever she went to visit her brother in London, she would bring very expensive gifts for me. I still remember once she went all the way to Wellawatte in a taxi to buy a beautiful Kanchipuram saree for my birthday.
She gifted me all her cookery items and recipe books as well as her “Woman & Home” magazines, a valuable collection from her young days.
She was kind to all her neighbours going out of her way to help them in numerous ways.
Dearest aunty, you are no more, but you will remain in my mind forever.
Thank you for all that you have done for me.
May your soul rest in peace.
Trishanthi Peiris Fernando
You are alive in our love
Major Raja Amarasekera de Silva
Gone for twelve long years but not gone from our hearts
You may be gone from my sight but not gone from my heart
Always on my mind and alive in our love
You are with me forever, as long as I live
Your everloving wife
The rose of my heart
Daya Ranatunge
It’s almost four years.
Still the flowers bloom in different hues
Nurtured under your loving touch.
Fragrance passing the welcome note
To ever singing birds, you never missed.
Underneath my feet, I feel the chill of the dew scattered
Wept overnight
Feeling the unbearable loss of your long absence.
The verandah couch we sat together
In sunny bright days,
Watching the splendour of the setting sun
Sipping our evening tea,
Is occupied by a fluffy kitten
Glancing at me with a long lasting look
Asking where you have gone.
It’s four long years now.
Amma, I’m here all alone.
Taking my lone stroll, among the greens you cherished
Sipping the tea with tears of memories rolling down
Over the never-ending misery of the long journey you took
Never returned.
You are the rose of my heart!
Lanka Chandani Ranatunge